At least 291 people perished in the medieval fortress of L’Aquila and about two dozen surrounding villages. The quake struck in the early morning hours of Monday, bringing down centuries-old buildings as the region shook for about 30 seconds.
Most of the victims were sleeping when the roofs of their homes caved in on them at 3:32 a.m. local time. Powerful aftershocks caused further damage and hampered rescue efforts for two days following the initial jolt.
Some of the seismic events were also felt in Rome, 60 miles (95 km) to the southwest.
The L’Aquila quake was the most deadly and destructive to hit Italy since 1980, when a 6.9-magnitude temblor rocked Eboli, south of Naples. That earthquake left at least 2,700 people dead.
The last major quake to hit central Italy struck the Molise region on Oct. 31, 2002, killing 28 people, including 27 children who died when their school collapsed on them.
The U.S. Geological Survey determined that Monday morning’s quake struck directly beneath L’Aquila at a depth of about 6 miles (10 km).
The Italian peninsula is criss-crossed by two major fault lines, making it one of Europe's most quake-vulnerable regions.