Pieve di Cento

Pieve di Cento (parish of Cento) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Bologna in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of Bologna. Seismic damage Two major earthquakes struck the Emilia-Romagna region in 2012 killing more than twenty people and leaving thousands homeless. The first struck early in the morning of 20 May with two serious aftershocks several hours later, and again nine days later causing widespread damage particularly to buildings already weakened by earlier seismic forces. In Pieve di Cento, the shaking collapsed the cupola of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, showering debris into the nave and threatening paintings by renowned Baroque artists like Guercino, Guido Reni and Lavinia Fontana, which are now exposed to the elements. Cardinal Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture and responsible for conserving the cultural patrimony of the Holy See, visited the area to draw attention to the plight of the survivors and tweeted his prayer message accompanied by a striking photo of the serene intact faces of the Madonnina di Pieve di Cento a weakened plaster-cast effigy of the child Jesus in his mother's arms. References External links Official website