Michelle Obama and other leaders' spouses visit L'Aquila quake site

Jul 9, 2009, 22:15 GMT

L'Aquila, Italy - US First Lady Michelle Obama on Thursday shook her head in front of a badly damaged church in L'Aquila, apparently touched by the devastation of an April earthquake in the Italian city, the site of this week's Group of Eight (G8) summit.

Obama's gesture came as she joined several other spouses of leaders attending the summit, for a tour of L'Aquila's medieval centre which bore much of the brunt of the tremor that killed nearly 300 people and left some 60,000 homeless.

Flanked by firefighters and security officials, the group, made its way on foot to the central Piazza Duomo square during the morning visit.

There they stood in front of the church of Santa Maria del Suffragio - also known as the church of the Anime Sante - whose dome all but collapsed in the earthquake.

'I am very moved,' Obama said, the ANSA news agency reported.

Expressing concern for the psychological health of children who suffered in the earthquake, she also said that together with her husband - who visited the site Wednesday - she would try to contribute to the city's reconstruction efforts, according to ANSA.

Also present were Sarah Brown, wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Gursharan Kour, wife of India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Nompumelelo Ntuli - one of South Africa's polygamist President Jacob Zuma's wives.

Accompanying them were two female members of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's cabinet - Equal Opportunities Minster Mara Carfagna and Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini.

Not attending any G8-related events is Berlusconi's wife Veronica Lario, who is seeking a divorce allegedly stemming from revelations of her husband's friendship with several young women.

In the absence of a homegrown first lady - French President Nicolas Sarkozy's Italian-born wife Carla Bruni has kept a low profile since arriving in Italy in on Wednesday - the Italian media has focused much attention on Michelle Obama.

The US first lady, made an immediate impact on fashion-conscious Italians where she arrived Wednesday in Rome with her husband and daughters - 11-year-old Malia and eight-year-old Sasha.

Wearing a yellow sheath dress with a green flower-shaped brooch, she prompted praise from the likes of fashion designer Laura Biagiotti who told Rome-daily La Repubblica that Obama 'is perfect, the colour exhalts her beauty that is displayed with pride.'

Other commentators dwelled on less frivolous aspects, including the topics covered in Obama's conversation with Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno's wife, Isabella - the integration of immigrants and disparities in income between men and women in Italy.

The US first lady is scheduled to return to Rome Friday when she will accompany her husband to the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI.