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Facts about L'Aquila, site of G8 summit

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-07-03 11:08

Italy has given assurances that its G8 summit facilities in the medieval mountain town of L'Aquila can withstand almost any earthquake that might strike the devastated site of the July 8-10 summit of world leaders.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi moved the summit from the island of Sardinia after the April earthquake that killed nearly 300 people, hoping to draw attention to the plight of the region and lure additional aid for its reconstruction. Following are some facts on L'Aquila and the province of Abruzzo:

L'AQUILA:

- The medieval walled city of L'Aquila, whose name means "the eagle", has a population of about 68,000. Much of the city was severely damaged in a 1703 earthquake, including the medieval cathedral and the Fountain of the Ninety-Nine Spouts, a symbol of the city.

- The latest quake, on April 6, killed nearly 300 people and left more than 60,000 homeless in L'Aquila and surrounding towns and villages.

- L'Aquila is the main historical and artistic centre of Abruzzo, seat of an archbishop and a university with monuments including the ancient Salvatore Tommasi library. The "Spanish Castle" from the 16th century crowns its highest point.

THE G8 VENUE:

- The school for non-commissioned officers of the Finance Police is the venue for the summit. Located on the outskirts of the town in the Coppito district, with a view of the mountains, it was the site of the funeral for the April earthquake victims.

- World leaders including US President Barack Obama will be accommodated there, in officers' quarters decorated for the occasion by Italian designers. It will be the location for all the talks, dinners and news conferences. More than 2,400 journalists will also be based in the police barracks.

ABRUZZO:

- Lying on the eastern side of central Italy, the rugged region also includes Adriatic coastline. Abruzzo is home to about 1.3 million people and has had many earthquakes over the centuries.

- Two-thirds of its 11,000 sq km (4,250 sq mile) is covered with mountains and a sloping plain stretches to its 130 km (80 mile) sandy coastline.

- The Apennine Mountains run through Abruzzo, with the 2,914 m (9,560 ft) peak of Corno Grande towering over the regional capital L'Aquila.

- Ancient Abruzzo was famed for its witches, wizards and snake-charmers, members of a tribe known as the Marsi. In the annual Snake Charmers Procession in the mountain village of Cocullo, a statue of San Domenico is covered in live snakes.

- Before the earthquake Abruzzo had the highest GDP per capita in southern Italy. Mechanical engineering, transport equipment and telecommunications are well established.