Firefighters Rescue 400 Rare Library Books In Sicily

In Sicily, Firefighters have rescued almost 400 rare books from a library in Niscemi that hangs on the edge of a mudflow, following a devastating landslide in January that left over 1,600 people evacuated from the town.

The library has nearly 4,000 books of literature, history, and general nonfiction, including several rare editions of Sicilian history dating from before 1830. Also among its prized treasures is a 16th-century book.

The disaster tore away a whole slope of
the town and carved a 4km gully. The library in question is situated at the steep edge of the brink dug out by the landslide. This resulted in part of the building dangling in mid-air.

The recovery operation, which commenced on Monday, was followed by a thorough assessment of floor plans and interior photographs to determine the books’ positions.

The Firefighters had to drill through the wall of a building behind the structure, enter for minutes at a time, fasten the bookcases together, and haul them backwards to reach the books.

The provincial commander of the fire brigade in Caltanissetta, Salvatore Cantale, said it was like “pulling off a bank heist.”

“We had to be quick and try to take away as much as we could,” he noted.

During the time a drone streamed live aerial images to a monitor on the ground, while laser sensors fixed to the section wobbling over the drop, were used to monitor the slightest shift. Another gadget was used to detect vibrations and subtle shifts in the building’s slope.