Madonna Gives to Italian Earthquake Victims

Tue., Apr. 7, 2009 8:02 PM PDT by Natalie Finn

AP Photo/Riccardo Gangale

Denied the chance to provide a new home for one child, Madonna is going to help countless others rebuild their lives.

The Material Girl made a substantial donation Tuesday to aid earthquake victims in the mountainous Abruzzo region of Italy, where a 6.3 temblor early yesterday morning left at least 200 people dead and perhaps 50,000 homeless, E! News has confirmed.

Publicist Liz Rosenberg would not reveal the dollar amount of Madonna's contribution, but it's been reported to be around $500,000.

The Ciccones, the hitmaker's paternal grandparents, lived in the village of Pacentro (which is in the city of L'Aquila, near the earthquake's epicenter) until 1919. Nearly 33,000 people were killed in the region in a devastating quake in 1915.

"I am happy to lend a helping hand to the town that my ancestors are from," Madonna said in a statement. "My heart goes out to the families that have lost loved ones or their homes."

The pop icon's benevolent gesture comes after what must have been an especially trying week for her. On Friday, Malawi's high court denied her bid to adopt a 3-year-old girl, citing the country's mandatory residency policy of 18 to 24 months for people looking to adopt.

Madonna's camp has appealed the ruling.