“Armatrice is no more,” Mayor Sergio Pirozzi reports.

Wednesday night, August 24th, a catastrophic earthquake struck Italy, spreading across Arquata del Tronto to Rome. Family homes, business buildings, and debris mounted on top of men, women, and children, leaving 274 dead. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi expresses, “Right now we feel terrible pain. Italy is a family that has been hit and struck, but we are not going to be stopped.”

According to Geological Survey, the earthquake’s magnitude of 6.2 often results in severe damage, high fatalities, and only occurs about 120 times a year. Luigi D’Angelo, an officer of the Civil Protection Department, continues the search to find more civilians between the disheveled towns because, “Many cases have shown in the past that even after two days people can be rescued alive.” However, the rescue has proven to be even more difficult because of the narrow roads and hard-to-reach villages.

It is not just the hundreds of deaths that have plundered the spirits of civilians across Italy, but the destruction of the country’s irreplaceable historic sites. The village of Pescara del Tronto birthed in the Middle Ages now lays in ruin. Sant’ Agostino of the 15th Century, once celebrated for its dexterity is completely eradicated. David Rijser, a guide of the Italian history describes Armatrice as, “An ancient town, made famous by history and refined by art”, one that stands no more.

Despite the travesty disseminated across Italy, Prime Minister Renzi remains hopeful, “In difficult times, Italy knows what to do.”