Statue of Virgin Mary rescued in quake-damaged L’Aquila, Italy

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Firefighters working in earthquake-damaged L’Aquila, Italy, have recovered a statue of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus that dates back to 1450. The fragile clay statue was pulled from the rubble inside the Basilica of Saint Mary of Collemaggio.

The 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the Italian region of Abruzzo, northeast of Rome, on April 6, leaving nearly 300 dead and tens of thousands homeless.

No word on other artistic losses in the region, including L’Aquila’s National Museum of Abruzzo, which houses medieval works from surrounding towns and villages.

--Lisa Fung