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Relic depicting Italian town’s patron saint found in earthquake rubble

A poignant artifact depicting the Madonna of Filetta was recovered inside a destroyed church following the deadly earthquake that ravaged central Italy.

The religious image of the town’s patron saint was found Tuesday among the rubble of the Sant’Agostino church in hard-hit Amatrice — six days after the devastating earthquake demolished the area.

Amatrice parish priest Rev. Savino D’Amelio held up the recovered artifact.

The 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck small Italian towns in the center of the county in the middle of the night on Aug. 24 killed nearly 300.

Many are still believed to be buried under the rubble, officials said.

EPA

Italy is holding a state funeral Tuesday for more than 200 of the 292 victims on the grounds of a Catholic retreat in Amatrice.

With Post wires