The earthquake of Aquila in 1461

And at Santa Maria de Collemaggio the large Dome was sent to the ground; and moreover, a beautiful miracle, that in said chapel was standing before the altar a silver tabernacle, which contained three consecrated hosts. Since it was the Body of Christ, by miracle the large Chapel fell on it, all the silver tabernacle that was standing there was crushed, and the Body of Christ was found before the altar, and had made a house as if made by hand, and nothing was lost of it; and so it was extracted, and came to Aquila with Processions of all the Friars of Collemaggio; and came to the Fountain at the foot of the square, where the Bishop was, who had an altar raised there, and said Mass there every morning, and preaches were given there.

And the whole square was full of huts, where the people had come to live for fear. And in the same way they stayed at Campo de Fossa with tents, and at the tiratore, and in the same way all around Aquila, since no citizen wanted to get back into the houses.

And to explain it better to you, that same night there was another about two hours after the first, which was not smaller than the previous; and one after the other did not finish through the night and the day to occur earthquakes until the 11th of December; we believe there were more than one hundred, many more, and never stopped to occur. We believe that inside the earth died about 80 peole, maybe some more.