A slight earthquake in Tuscany, in central Italy, led on Wednesday June 28 to the brief evacuation of the cathedral of Siena, one of the symbolic monuments of this tourist city classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the closure museums.
The 3.7 magnitude earthquake, whose epicenter was in Poggibonsi, a town north of Siena, was also felt in Florence and Empoli. The tremor brought the population and tourists out into the streets of the city, famous for its rich cultural heritage and the Palio, an ancient horse race that twice a year sees the neighborhoods of the city compete.
The huge cathedral, which houses priceless sculptures and paintings, was evacuated for an hour, a spokesman for the monument told AFP. According to the media, small pieces of plaster came off the walls of the building. As a security measure, all the city’s museums will remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday, although at this stage no damage has been recorded. Italy is in an earthquake zone, and devastating earthquakes in 2009 and 2016 each killed around 300 people.
