The recent scenes from Italy where a massive earthquake has caused widespread devastation in the Abruzzo region have led Madonna to donate a large sum to help those affected.
Madonna is of Italian descent, with her second name of course being Cicconne. The singer has always been proud of her roots, and was apparently deeply touched by the damage caused by the earthquake – so severe that residents hundreds of miles away in Rome were affected.
The singer’s grandparents lived in the tiny hamlet of Pacentro until 1919, when the emigrated to the United States. Pacentro’s mayor is believed to have appealed to Madonna personally for help, with the village suffering extensive damage.
More than 200 people have died in the Abruzzo region, which contained some of the most beautiful and historically important architecture in Italy.
Madonna is believed to have donated half a million dollars to the cause. “I am happy to lend a helping hand to the town that my ancestors are from,” she told People.com. “My heart goes out to the families that have lost loved ones or their homes.”
Of course, this has already been a turbulent week for the Queen of Pop. The singer had been attempting to adopt a child from the African nation of Malawi, but was recently denied permission on the grounds that she had not been a resident in the country for long enough.
The case had been dogged by controversy with Madonna suffering criticism from Malawian officials due to personal life. The singer’s recent divorce from British director Guy Ritchie and her alleged relationship with a married baseball player were used as examples of her poor behaviour by officials, who claimed she was an unfit role model.
