Norcia in the historical seismic sources (14th-19th centuries): a reassessment of the reconstruction and post-seismic management

The seismic event that devasted Norcia in 2016 leads us to reconsider the history of this town and its urban and architectural transformations, through the phenomena of earthquakes. They are in fact a decisive factor in the development of this urban centre. In the past, major damage had been caused by earthquakes of 1328 and then of 1703, 1730 and 1859. The abundant documentation available for the 18th and 19th centuries provides us with an extraordinary quantity of data on many aspects of these catastrophic events, not only on material damage and consequent reconstructive actions, but also on the perception of those involved more or less directly in the disaster and the emotional impact that the earthquakes provoked. An overview reading of the sources allows us to follow through the building activities of this urban centre, focusing on its peculiar seismic character, which was re-moulded, redesigned and often modified on the basis of the seismic risk.