Ten years after a devastating earthquake struck Amatrice, Italy, the town's reconstruction remains largely incomplete, with two-thirds of planned public projects yet to begin as of April 2026, according to a report by ActionAid Italy. Over half of the town's roughly 2,100 residents continue to live in temporary housing, and protective fences still surround the worst-affected areas.
Anniversary commemorations overshadowed by frustration
On Monday, residents and officials gathered for a mass to mark the 10th anniversary of the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that killed 303 people and left thousands homeless across Amatrice and neighbouring communities. Politicians and public figures are expected to pay tribute, but many locals remain sceptical about the progress of reconstruction.
Sonia Santarelli, president of Comitato Civico 3e36, a grassroots initiative founded after the disaster, voiced the community's frustration: “They will make a good show of it, bow their heads and say: ‘We did a lot.’ But nobody will put their neck on the line. They will say the reconstruction is going well … but how can that be when so many are in homes that are uninhabitable?”
Report reveals severe delays in public projects
The ActionAid Italy report, published last week, highlighted that as of April 2026, construction had not begun on roughly two-thirds of planned public projects, rising to seven in ten in the hardest-hit areas. The report also noted that approximately €4.85bn (£4.15bn) has been earmarked for the reconstruction works.
The earthquake struck at 3:36am on 24 August 2016, with tremors felt as far as Rome. Santarelli, who owns an agriturismo near Amatrice, recalled being woken by a loud blast and the sound of buildings collapsing. Fortunately, nobody in her hamlet died, but the destruction was near-total.
Living conditions in prefabricated housing
Prefabricated housing villages were set up in 41 sites across the affected areas. Residents describe the wooden homes as cramped and stifling in the heat. “The heat and humidity squelch you,” said Santarelli. She also noted that the limited space makes it difficult to move coffins, and the rooms are too small for traditional wakes, adding to the indignity.
Some displaced residents are still paying mortgages on homes that no longer exist. “You cannot make people live in these conditions for so long,” Santarelli said. “So much work still needs to be done.”
Completed projects and future plans
Projects that have been completed in Amatrice include a school and a handful of buildings in the historic centre. Construction of a new hospital is nearing completion and could open in 2027, provided it is fully equipped and staffed.
The slow reconstruction is attributed to several factors, including political instability. Matteo Renzi, prime minister at the time, pledged to rebuild the towns as they were, but he resigned at the end of 2016 after a referendum defeat. Since then, Italy has had five different governments, each appointing commissioners for the rebuild. Bureaucracy, legal disputes, and the complexity of rebuilding historic centres in mountainous areas have also hampered progress, as seen after the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake.
Mayor Giorgio Cortellesi, elected in 2021, said reconstruction was hampered by the Covid pandemic and a government eco-renovation scheme that pushed up building material costs and lured workers away to more profitable jobs elsewhere. He acknowledged a “significant housing emergency,” exacerbated by construction firms renting homes for their staff and driving up rents. The council is working to reclaim some properties.
Residents' resilience and attachment
The prefabricated villages are nearing the end of their 10-year warranty and will need to be dismantled. Cortellesi promised residents would return to their rebuilt homes, which he said would be “the safest in Italy and the most energy efficient,” but he did not offer a timeline.
Despite the delays, many residents remain attached to Amatrice. Sergio Pirozzi, mayor at the time of the earthquake, famously said, “Half of the town is gone,” within minutes of the disaster. He lost 36 friends from a dinner that night. Yet his attachment is undiminished: “For me, even today, this is the most beautiful place in the world.”
