Antonietta Losito

Touching the Past

It’s been ten years since the earthquake devastated l’Aquila, killed three hundred people, and left thousands more homeless. It’s been about sixteen years since my last visit. At that time the city’s historic centre was a vibrant grid of monumental churches and palazzos. Now it’s a construction site where time stands still, a forgotten piece of history.

broken sidewalks
the silence between
empty lots

Paola moved back into her home last year, trying to return to normal. She lives beside cranes, diggers, and dusty roads. “No one will be able to forget that terrible day. The dreams, the laughter, the promise: all gone in a night. But when I open the door of my house and I’m inside, in spite of everything, I feel at home. And that’s enough,” she tells me.

withered leaves –
pages of a dusty
photo album