Ten years after the quake, Amatrice still battles a slow rebuild

When the August 2016 earthquake collapsed Amatrice, 237 townspeople lost their lives and thousands were displaced. A decade later, mayor Giorgio Cortellesi, who survived the disaster with his two sons, reports that just over a third of ruined structures have been rebuilt and about three-fifths of residents still occupy temporary units. Although the national government has approved projects worth €22.7 billion across the affected zone and paid out roughly €10 billion, reconstruction in Amatrice is hampered by legal disputes, ownership complexities and concerns over mafia involvement in large contracts.

The COVID-19 crisis and the Superbonus renovation incentive diverted labor and materials, causing a two-year standstill. Survivors like chef Daniele Bonanni and the Perilli siblings face personal financial strains, such as ongoing mortgages on demolished homes. Cortellesi wonders whether the decision to replicate the town’s historic layout was wise, noting that much of the medieval fabric is gone and a modern redesign is now impossible.