The earthquake of 16 December 1857 was the first in history to be photographed. With the expedition of the scientist Robert Mallet came a French photographer, Alphonse Bernaud, who hauled a bulky camera about and made the images of the damage in places that were not easy to reach: Laurenzana was one of them.
Here the quake brought down half the bell tower of the mother church, collapsed the Loreto chapel entirely and forced the demolition of the castle towers, from one of which the clock was recovered. Only the church of San Giorgio came through unharmed. Two years later, in December 1859, nearly all the work was finished. There are 1,944 residents.
Castello di Laurenzana · chiesa dell'Assunzione di Maria Vergine · riserva regionale Abetina di Laurenzana
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Next up: Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patroness of a town shaken by an earthquake, Friday 16 July
Nearest airport: Bari Palese, 102 km away
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📅 Every year, on 16 July
Laurenzana celebrates Our Lady of Mount Carmel on 16 July; an earthquake brought down the bell tower of her church and the castle towers, sparing only the church of San Giorgio among the town's religious buildings.
Castello di Laurenzana A ruin on the crag: from 1483 the Orsini del Balzo turned the fortress into a baronial residence. 
chiesa dell'Assunzione di Maria Vergine The body of Blessed Egidio has lain here in an urn since Italy's unification. 
riserva regionale Abetina di Laurenzana 330 hectares of silver fir where beech and Turkey oak should grow, protected since 1988. Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
