Experts Fear Quake Ruined Art Works

The earthquake that claimed at least 3000 lives in southern Italy earlier this week may also have destroyed countless art and architectural treasures in the area, area scholars said yesterday.

"The area hit by the quake contains scores of churches--none of which is singularly important on a world scale--that collectively demonstrate Christian ornamentation development," Robert P. Bergman, associate professor of Fine Arts, said yesterday.

Bergman added that he was "very worried" about the fate of the severely damaged Nola region, located between Naples and Avellino, which contains frescoes dating from the fourth to 13th centuries.

If the quake seriously damaged the Amalfian Peninsula, Bergman said he would feel "compelled" to return "as soon as possible" to the region where he spent last year studying. Bergman is currently teaching Fine Arts 13, "Introduction to the History of Art."

Worst hit were the provinces of Naples, Salerno, Potenza and Avellino. Government officials said yesterday ancient buildings suffered the most damage.

Past Masters

While other experts also expressed concern for art masterpieces in the quake zone, they said that previous disasters had already destroyed many important land-marks.

The area originally contained some "very special" baroque ornamentation. Ivan Galantic, associate professor of art history at Tufts University, said yesterday, adding that earthquakes in 1908 and 1930 "devastated much of the important works of art."

Herbert Bloch, Pope Professor of Latin Language and Literature, said yesterday that though he was most concerned with the human suffering caused by the quake, he was also worried about possible damage to Roman structures in Benevento.

Bloch agreed that past events had already damaged many of the region's art treasures. In 1944, the American army "started their invasion of Italy in Salerno," Bloch said, adding that "mankind has done more to destroy irreplaceable art than any natural disaster."

Grieving

"We have no time for art now," a spokesman for the Italian Consulate in Boston said yesterday.

In the next few weeks the Cultural Ministry will study the damage to artistic landmarks, but now "we must bury our dead and get food and shelter to the victims," he added.