The 2016 Umbria and Marche Earthquake and the Reconstruction of the Sibillini Mountains
The 2016 earthquake that struck Umbria and the Marche left its mark on the Sibillini Mountains with a sequence of tremors that began on August 24 and continued with the shocks of October 26 and 30. Ten years later, the reconstruction is not finished. Some places can be visited again, such as the Basilica of San Benedetto in Norcia, while others are still closed or under construction. Anyone planning a visit therefore needs to check, case by case, that the chosen place is accessible.
The seismic sequence affected the Sibillini Mountains, the upper Tronto valley, the Monti della Laga and the Monti dell'Alto Aterno. The entire Sibillini National Park then fell within the earthquake crater (the officially designated damage zone). This page sums up what happened, where the reconstruction stands and how to take it into account when preparing a trip.
The earthquake in the Marche, Italy, and Umbria: what to know about the Sibillini Mountains earthquake
The first shock struck on August 24, 2016, hitting mainly the upper Tronto valley, with a magnitude of 6.0. The shocks of October 26 and 30, up to magnitude 6.5, devastated the Sibillini area, between Umbria and the Marche. The Park reported that all the municipalities within it suffered heavy damage. Among the hardest-hit towns are Visso, Ussita, Castelsantangelo sul Nera, Castelluccio di Norcia, Norcia and Preci. There was also heavy damage in municipalities just outside the Park, such as Camerino, Caldarola, San Ginesio and Tolentino.
The overall toll of the seismic sequence was 299 victims. The earthquake also changed the hydrogeological makeup of several areas, with landslides and ground instability, which the Park has monitored since the fall of 2016.
On reconstruction, a clear choice was made, at the wish of the mayors of the crater. Towns are being rebuilt where they stood, without building new towns for displaced residents. In the months after the earthquake, the mayors denounced delays caused by bureaucracy: after ten months only 400 casette (emergency housing units) had been delivered out of 3,800 requested.
Ten years after the earthquake, public and private reconstruction is described as taking shape, but bureaucratic difficulties remain. Institutions also acknowledge that much remains to be done. The Park authority's historic headquarters was left unusable, and it was housed in containers from 2018 and then in a temporary building.
A few examples show how far things have come:
- Basilica di San Benedetto in Norcia. The shock of October 30, 2016 destroyed about 80% of its surfaces. Mainly the facade was left standing, secured with a large steel cage. Reconstruction and restoration work began in December 2021 and ended in October 2025, at a total cost of about 12.1 million euros. The exterior has regained its pre-earthquake appearance, while the roof was rebuilt in wood. More on the area's churches is on the page about the churches of the Sibillini Mountains.
- Co-Cathedral of Santa Maria Argentea in Norcia. The 16th-century cathedral suffered very severe damage, starting with the collapse of the roof. Work began eight years after the earthquake, with the aim of rebuilding it along its original lines. When the Basilica di San Benedetto reopened, completion of the cathedral work was expected within about a year and a half.
- Rifugio di Colle Le Cese, in Arquata del Tronto. It was a stage of the Grande Anello dei Sibillini and became unusable after the earthquake. In 2023 the demolition and reconstruction project was under way, at an expected cost of about 1.9 million euros. The new building is expected to have rooms, a restaurant, a bar and a roof garden.
As of September 2026, several civic and religious buildings in Norcia have reopened, including theaters and basilicas. For the area's theaters, see the page on the historic theaters of the Sibillini.
Visiting after the Monti Sibillini earthquake: visiting the places today
Construction sites and closures depend on the progress of the work and on official orders, not on the season, and this page applies all year round.
For the Castelluccio di Norcia area, one of the hardest-hit villages, the flowering of the fields can be seen from late June into July. This is when the area is busiest, so it is worth checking ahead of time that the places you want to reach are accessible.
The progress of reconstruction changes over time. The reopenings of recent years, starting with the Basilica di San Benedetto in October 2025, show that what was closed can become accessible again. For this reason it is worth checking the situation shortly before leaving.
The Sibillini National Park earthquake: practical tips
The effects of the 2016-2017 earthquakes are still visible across the Park. Some historic centers are only partly accessible or entirely closed, partly because of ongoing reconstruction work. Some routes may also be closed by orders of the competent authorities.
For its nature trails, the Park shows on its website whether each route can be walked, using a system of symbols:
- a green dot indicates trails that are open;
- a yellow dot marks trails that are not fully open or have significant detours;
- a red dot indicates closed trails.
Check the current status on the Park's official trails page (in Italian): SibilliniGuide does not report it in real time.
There are 18 nature trails. They start from the historic centers of the villages or close by, and two are also accessible with strollers or wheelchairs.
In practice, it is best to:
- check the status of trails and towns before leaving, because the situation changes as work progresses;
- check the accessibility of individual monuments or mountain huts, without assuming that a place is open;
- respect fences and no-entry signs in construction zones or damaged areas;
- check the weather before a hike, as in any mountain area.
To learn about the area's history beyond the earthquake, see the pages on Sibillini history, art and legends.