Paganica

Paganica is a hillside town in the province of L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy. located at 669 meters above sea level, at the foot of the Gran Sasso d'Italia, about 7 kilometers east of the historic center, along the state road 17 bis that from Bazzano climbs to Campo Imperatore passing for Tempèra, Camarda, Assergi and Fonte Cerreto, with a population of about 10 000 inhabitants, making it the largest fraction of the city, as well as of considerable economic importance. It is a frazione of the comune of L'Aquila (which is some 7 km far), and has a population of about 5,000. On April 6, 2009, the center was hit by a disastrous earthquake which caused heavy damage to the town (including a burst water pipe, which caused a landslide), resulting in an almost total evacuation. In 2011 the restoration works began, which have recovered part of the historical heritage, and the influx of the population.