Abruzzo News: 17 December 1999

17 December/dicembre 1999
MESSAGGERO - Flood emergency for the heavy rains - the Aterno out of control, Fossa (L'Aquila) under water / È ancora emergenza per le abbondanti piogge - Aterno impazzito, Fossa sott’acqua, by Marcello Ianni
Emergency in many municipalities along the Aterno river, also large factories (Italtel, Alenia) in danger. Yesterday morning a ditch gave up at Fossa, 40 families were evacuated, and many animals died under 3 mt of water. Rescuers helped people to boats and dinghies and brought food to isolated houses. Fire workers arrived from Campobasso, Isernia, Chieti and Pescara to help.

17 December/dicembre 1999
IL CENTRO - The Vatican official paper accepts the theories of the Volto Santo / Anche il giornale della Cei apre alle tesi sul Volto Santo dopo mesi di scetticismo
After decades of disbelief, now the "Avvenire", official paper of the Vatican, discovers the Veronica (= Vera Icona, true icon) in Manoppello. This precious veil disappeared in the 17th century from St Peter's, Rome and reappeared in Manoppello many years later. Padre Heinrich Pfeiffer and suor Blandina have extensively studied the Volto Santo. Now the church is very near to officially accepting Pfeiffer's theory. In June monsignor Ersilio Tonini was sent by the Vatican to visit the relic, soon followed by Cardinals Pappalardo and Sodano.


17 December/dicembre 1999
IL CENTRO - ATRI - The Riserva dei calanchi is officially born / Nasce la riserva dei calanchi
380 hectares from the Piomba valley to the sea, the most astonishing, almost nightmarish landscape of the Adriatic. Fulco Pratesi, president of WWF Italia, inaugurated yesterday the new reserve in the Palazzo Ducale, Atri. A true open-air lab, the new park will have as its emblem the porcupine, which has found a final refuge in the area.

17 December/dicembre 1999
IL CENTRO - University saves donkey - Test-tube parents for two animals to avoid extinction / L'università salva l'asino - Fecondazione in vitro per evitare l'estinzione - I veterinari hanno fatto nascere due esemplari by Stefano Cianciotta
TERAMO - Hard times for Martinafranca donkeys. Redundant in agriculture they could reproduce only in labs. Pericle and Perla were born of the frozen semen of 17-year-old Talete. The reproduction cycles of female donkeys have been studied for two years before fecondations could be fulfilled. Recently also a website was opened by Eugenio Milonis, a breeder from Introdacqua, to find mates for his donkey girls.


<prev^TOP^ next>