Ten Years After Amatrice, Reconstruction Still Lags

As people gather in Amatrice on Monday for a mass to mark the 10th anniversary of the earthquake that devastated the town, international reporting has drawn attention to the slow pace of its reconstruction. According to the Guardian, as of April two-thirds of planned public projects in Amatrice had yet to begin, rising to seven in 10 in the hardest-hit areas.

The 2016 earthquake struck central Italy on 24 August, killing hundreds and flattening entire towns across the Apennines. Amatrice, a hilltop town known for its pasta and its place in Italy's culinary identity, became the symbol of the disaster and of the promises that followed.

The anniversary mass, held in a town still marked by cranes and empty lots, has revived questions about how Italy manages recovery after catastrophe. The Guardian's reporting suggests that a decade on, the gap between official pledges and visible progress remains wide.