Norcia: Earthquake Resurrection for Every Norcineria

Close to the epicenter of the October 2016 earthquakes, Norcia is cordoned off, a zona rossa (“red zone,” i.e., no entry to anyone due to possible danger of falling rubble – and the need to inspect each earthquake-compromised building). In the town’s main piazza, the Basilica di San Benedetto is a shell, only the facade having resisted the violent tremor of October 30th. The town is silent, the houses empty, many of them with cracked stucco, piles of broken terracotta roof tiles heaped at the front door. We’ve seen photos of the huge warehouses outside Norcia where the famous Norcia prosciutti are aged, gouged by the seismic activity, their walls now gaping holes.

And in Norcia, every norcineria is now closed. May these shops selling the Norcia specialties – prosciutto, capocollo, salami, ciauscolo, guanciale and pecorino cheeses (and not only!) – soon again throw open their doors to visitors. And hopefully, many norcini were able to salvage their abundance of Umbrian goodness. Norcina delicacies like these: