1908 Messina earthquake

Messina - The once beautiful Water-front after the earthquake dett

The 1908 Messina earthquake (also known as the 1908 Messina and Reggio earthquake) was on 28 December in Sicily and Calabria in southern Italy. It had a moment magnitude of 7.1 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme). The epicentre was in the Strait of Messina which is the water between Sicily and mainland Italy. The cities of Messina and Reggio Calabria were almost completely destroyed and between 75,000 and 82,000 people were killed. It was the most destructive earthquake ever to strike Europe.

1908 Messina Earthquake Media

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  Messina earthquake seismogram

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  The port of Messina in c.1900, before the earthquake and tsunami

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  The devastated seafront of Reggio Calabria

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  Victims' bodies lying outside the badly damaged and partially destroyed Palazzata in Corso Vittorio Emanuele which fronts the port of Messina

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  Via Santa Maria delle Trombe, a typical residential street in the populous zone near Via Monasteri a few years before the earthquake which obliterated the houses and destroyed the homonymous church

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  Rubble blocking Via Cardines. At the time it was one of Messina's principal thoroughfares

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  Russian sailors from the battleship "Slava" excavating the rubble for survivors in Via Idria near the ruined Civic Hospital

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  Church of the Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani, built in the 12th century, one of the few structures that survived the earthquake

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  Section of extant 18th century houses in the old quarter of Tirone which withstood the earthquake

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  The badly damaged but salvageable Chiesa delle Anime del Purgatorio as viewed from Via Garilbaldi. It was subsequently demolished to conform to the new street plan