Earthquake in Central Italy

After the earthquake of 24 August 2016 in central Italy, we were immediately operational, first with the Specchio dei Tempi foundation and now with Specchio d’Italia. We chose Arquata del Tronto, the most affected town in the Marche region, with 51 deaths and enormous devastation. The work was intense, in perfect accord with the municipal administration and with the locals with whom a bond of trust and hope was born.

Our new anti-seismic eco-school in Arquata opened on 15 September 2017: it covers an area of 1000 square meters and hosts nursery, primary and secondary schools. It was created by the Wolf Haus of Vipiteno, a leading company in the sector. Designed to ensure maximum energy savings and the lowest environmental impact, as well as classrooms, offices and services, it also has a computer room, an industrial kitchen and a canteen. Each classroom is wired and equipped with a touch-screen whiteboard. The structure is covered by a 50-year guarantee and has a value of 2.6 million euros to which the urbanization costs of the area must be added.

Once the school was completed, we built a gym right next door, which was inaugurated in September 2018. It is built with materials tested in a “disaster room” that reproduces the most violent earthquakes ever recorded. It is an area of about 500 square meters, equipped with a regulation basketball and volleyball court, services and changing rooms. More than 16,000 donors from all over the world contributed, as well as companies such as Reale Foundation and Mail Boxes Etc. In total, around 3.7 million euros were raised. And our commitment to reconstruction continues: with a tender funded by Reale Immobili S.p.a. and intended for small entrepreneurs, to revive the local economy and provide a little practical help for the population, like cheques for newborns: 2000 euros for each child.