June 13th…Ferrari has started online auction for earthquake victims. 
Www.ferraristore.com will dedicate significant sums to those who have lost their loved ones in the recent earthquakes. The auction will feature rare and important items like 599 Evo, street-illegal race sports berlinetta , prancing horse watches, Formula 1 merchandise such as race suits, helmets, a V8 engine and other memorabilia associated with race cars from the past.
May 20th…
More than 120 aftershocks rocked the area in the hours following the magnitude-6.0 earthquake, which toppled factories, apartment buildings, and medieval and Renaissance monuments early Sunday. The epicenter was a small town between the art-rich cities of Modena and Ferrara. The area had not been considered at high risk for earthquakes, leading officials to call for revisions to the country’s risk map. Seven deaths have been reported.
No significant damage occurred in Bologna or Modena. Italians felt the quake strongly in Tuscany, Veneto, Lombardy, Liguria, Marche, Trentino Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia.
This region produces the famous Grana and Parmigiano cheeses. Of all the economic sectors, the artisan cheese sector appears to be hit the hardest. About 10% of the artisan cheese companies are feeling the impact. About 300,000 rounds of cheeses aging on wood shelves in giant warehouses in 10 production facilities fell off their shelves, causing severe damage worth about 100 million Euros. Each round of cheese weighs about 39 kg (86 pounds). The cheese is a principal export of Emilia-Romagna.
Prime Minister Monti cut short his visit for NATO in Chicago to return home. He visited the struck areas on Tuesday and declared a state of emergency and government funding. The last earthquake hit this region in the 1300s.
The president of Emilia-Romagna, Vasco Errani, said in a television interview that it was too soon to determine the economic costs. “They will be very significant, between our cultural heritage and businesses and housing,’’ he said.
Journeys Viaggio 
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