50th Anniversary of the Friuli Earthquake - Story of a Rebirth

Gemona, Half a Century After the Orcolat

On May 6, 1976, a violent earthquake – which the people of Friuli call Orcolat – devastated the Friuli region, with Gemona del Friuli being one of the most severely affected epicentres. Fifty years later, in May 2026, the town in the Province of Udine becomes the heart of the regional celebrations for the 50th anniversary, under the theme "Story of a Rebirth": a program blending memory, culture, and festivity to recount the extraordinary reconstruction of Friuli, which became an international model.

Concerts, Operas, and Institutional Moments

The calendar combines major popular events with moments of high symbolic value. On May 7, 2026, the free concert by Andrea Bocelli is scheduled at the Caserma Goi Pantanali, featuring an orchestra and choir, with an expected capacity of around 15,000 people. On May 6, the musical opera 55 Seconds premieres at the Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine. It combines orchestra, choir, dance, and contemporary musical theatre with over a hundred artists, alternating Italian, Friulian, and Triestine languages with references to Pier Paolo Pasolini. On the same day, an extraordinary session of the Regional Council of Friuli Venezia Giulia is held in Gemona.

Memory and Community

The early May days also include a conference promoted by Caritas and a solemn religious celebration presided over by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi. The exhibition "Friuli 1976. A Great Will to Live" runs throughout the period, while for the summer, the convention of the Fogolars Furlans and an international Civil Protection exercise are planned between Palmanova and Gemona. This anniversary is both a remembrance of sorrow and a celebration of the resilience of a land that rebuilt itself.