On April 6, 2009, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the italian community of L'Aquila, a 13th-century mountain city, and other villages in Abruzzo region.  Twenty-six villages were destroyed or damaged. Fully 10,000 buildings have been reduced to rubbble or left inhabitable by the quake.

Statistics:

308 people were killed and 1,600 injured. 

50 villages were severely damaged.
65,606 people throughout the region are dislocated:
35,860 people take shelter in 5,690 tents.
29,746 are staying in 433 overcrowded hotels, camp sites, and 1,576 private homes along the Abruzzo coast but are not included in relief efforts.
The government has asked people not to return until homes are confirmed to be safe, as hundreds of strong aftershocks have rippled through the area.