Italians are remembering the victims of the earthquake which struck the city of L'Aquila a year ago today.
Over 300 people were killed and around 60,000 were left homeless.
The 6.2 magnitude quake devastated the medieval city and surrounding villages.
Thousands of people held a torchlight procession to remember victims of the earthquake at 2.30am this morning, which is the exact time the earthquake struck.
A mass is to be held this afternoon and a plaque is to be unveiled at L'Aquila University in memory of student victims of the earthquake.
Survivors have complained that the authorities are building new homes at great cost far from the city centre instead of placing priority on rebuilding L'Aquila.
14,000 people have been re-housed in housing estates, which have been nicknamed ‘Berlusconi homes’ after Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
However, critics have said these estates have no supporting transport links or public services.
‘This money could have been used differently, especially since these homes cost three times more than planned,’ said Eugenio Carlomagno, a co-founder of an advocacy group called L'Aquila, A City Centre to Save.
‘With that sort of money they could have housed 45,000 people, not only 14,000,’ he added.
