Frana

On the 27th November, 2019, the small village of Cenova, Rezzo, Imperia, in Italy was hit by serious landslides. The dramatic consequence of too many days of heavy rain.
As it was difficult to assess the scale of the first avalanche, the villagers were told to leave their homes and pass the night sleeping in their cars parked in safe zones below.

The following days everyone helped as best they could to clear away the debris, rocks and, most of all mud. Small bulldozers and mobile grabbing cranes cleared away tree trunks, huge rocks and mud. High pressure water hoses were used to clear the village lanes.
We helped neighbours whose door of their house had been forced open by the rocks and mud, filling the ground floor up to almost a metre in depth.

It had stopped raining. There was even sunshine. We imagined that we could continue the work.
But then another, more serious landslide occurred. It was mesmerising to watch, and to wonder at the extraordinary force of water able to move such massive rocks. This time they pulverised the nave of the 15th century chapel auditorium.

The landslide also dislodged a large, communal gas tank, as though it were a small tin can. The real danger of its explosion prompted an immediate evacuation of the village. The tank had to be emptied, and at nightfall the firemen with volunteers (Claudio and Filippo) took considerable risks in doing what was necessary to enable the firemen to burn off the remaining gas content.

During this time, those who had no immediate, alternative accommodation were generously received by the Red Cross in the neighbouring village of Pieve di Teco. There was even a cake that the kind mother of an aimable volunteer had baked, with a little note to welcome their ‘guests’. Even our dog was spoilt and made welcome. They are wonderful, generous people.
When we were finally allowed to return to Cenova, the drama was still not over. The forecast of heavy rain set for Friday 20th December was very worrying.

Throughout the previous night, in the worst possible conditions, five volunteers (disparagingly calling themselves ‘the five coglioni’) including those who had taken personal risks regarding the gas tank, worked high up in the hills near what was left of the security barrier that the first avalanche had broken through. They worked hard and succeeded in deviating important passages of water in order to reduce the chance of another landslide. Thanks to their efforts, the heavy rain of Friday thus added relatively little damage to that already caused.

From then on we were blessed with days of sunshine.
Donations had been gathered; care of don Marco and the parochial of the bassa Valle Arroscia to kindly offer a dinner at a local albergo restaurant to the habitants of Cenova. And after the excellent meal, the bottles of wine left over were generously shared amongst the guests.
The mayor of Rezzo has been encouraged by the amount of support promised from the regional authorities of Liguria, which could mean that not only a security barrier will be built more solidly and effectively to withstand extreme conditions, but that the auditorium will be restored, which would be a wonderful thing. But Cenova, full of historical significance, certainly deserves such care and attention.

What is particularly remarkable is the solidarity of the community, the staunchness, kindness and generosity. This soars far above the significance of the catastrophe.
For example, it’s not as though one did a great deal in trying to help neighbour friends clear their little home of mud and stones, yet in spite of their plight, made worse by the second landslide, they left a panettone with a thoughtful little Christmas message at our door.

It’s also the sincere faith of the community, faith sadly lost in other parts of Western Europe. This gives the villagers the necessary strength to come to terms with such natural disasters. It gives them hope and the force to shrug it off and carry on making the best of everything. It’s an essential aspect of the Italian spirit, and another reason why Italy is so special.

Special thanks to the firemen who worked tirelessly during the worst part of the crisis. Thanks also to the Commune, the police, and the civil protection.
Text, 2nd, 5th and last image © Mirino. (With thanks to Nadia for the use of the top image, and to those who took the other photos). December, 2019