On 26 September 1997, a series of earthquakes shook central Italy and caused part of the Basilica of Saint Francis at Assisi to collapse. At least ten people were killed, and the fourteenth-century frescoes of the upper church sustained considerable damage. Restorers painstakingly collected fragments from the rubble. The church reopened to the public in 1999.

Tags: 14th century, 1997, 20th century, anniversary, art, assisi, Basilica of San Francesco, basilica of st francis, conservation, cultural heritage, cultural patrimony, damage, earthquake, frescoes, history, restoration, san francesco, St. Francis, umbria