Italy Marks Anniversary of L'Aquila Quake

Thousands of Italians have held a candlelight vigil to remember the 308 people killed in the earthquake that devastated the central city of L'Aquila a year ago.

About 25,000 people, both residents and outsiders showing their solidarity, walked somberly in the night through the medieval streets of the city carrying torches and candles.

They gathered in front of the city's cathedral and fell silent Tuesday at 3:32 a.m., the time a 6.3 magnitude quake struck last April 6 when many residents were asleep and sent people fleeing from collapsing homes.

The name of each victim was read out and then a church bell tolled 308 times.

The quake left more than 60,000 homeless in L'Aquila and surrounding towns and villages, as centuries-old buildings and churches crumbled to the ground.

It was Italy's worst earthquake in nearly 30 years.

Some residents voiced anger at the pace of the reconstruction, and the fact they have not yet been allowed to return to homes in the historic center.

In July 2009 Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi held a G8 summit of world leaders at the quake-stricken city, hoping to draw attention to the plight of the region and lure additional aid for its reconstruction.

L'Aquila, whose name means "the eagle," has a population of about 68,000. Much of the city was severely damaged in a 1703 earthquake, including the medieval cathedral and the Fountain of the Ninety-Nine Spouts, a symbol of the city.

L'Aquila is the main historical and artistic centre of Abruzzo, seat of an archbishop and a university with monuments including the ancient Salvatore Tommasi library. The "Spanish Castle" from the 16th century crowns its highest point.