Pop queen Madonna has made a substantial donation to the quake-stricken central Italian city where her roots lie.
Madonna, 50, whose birth name is Madonna Louise Ciccone, has given 500,000 pounds ($750,000) towards the relief and reconstruction of L'Aquila, British media reported Wednesday.
''I am happy to lend a helping hand to the town that my ancestors are from,'' Madonna said in a statement, without specifying the amount donated.
''My heart goes out to the families that have lost loved ones or their homes''.
The Ciccones, the hitmaker's paternal grandparents, lived in the village of Pacentro near L'Aquila until 1919.
Monday's quake killed at least 250 people and flattened much of L'Aquila and nearby towns.
