Ascoli Piceno, Italy (CNN) Italy began the painful task of burying its dead Saturday following a massive earthquake, as aftershocks rattled the heart of the country and the death toll climbed to 291.

Some of the mourners at a state funeral for Italy's earthquake victims were clearly in shock as they said goodbye to victims.

In the town of Ascoli Piceno, a local gym was transformed into a funeral hall, a basketball net the backdrop of the altar.

Thirty-five coffins adorned with flowers and framed photographs sat in three rows for victims from the town of Arquata del Tronto in the state funeral. Taped at the foot of each coffin was a white paper with the name of the deceased.

A photo posted by @atikacnn on Aug 27, 2016 at 2:13am PDT

Hundreds attended the state funeral and Catholic service to lay their loved ones to rest.

A woman at the funeral named Maria said she lost friends and family in the quake, and described how she and her husband used their bare hands to dig neighbors out of the rubble.

"Community is very important. In small villages like this. The relationship with the land and those you love, with our family, is very, very strong. It will be even stronger. We won't give up," she said.

Italy quake highlights our vulnerability to disaster Family members clustered around each coffin before the service, a teenager sitting on the floor beside one, weeping inconsolably. One family encircled a coffin with peach-colored flowers and held each other in a long embrace.

Mourners grieve at Italy's state funeral for earthquake victims.

Hundreds of people attended the Catholic ceremony of prayers, Bible readings and hymns, many themselves survivors in casts and bandages. A wall hanging of Jesus on a crucifix overlooked the grieving community, as mourners fanned themselves in the stifling heat.

'A new spring'

Among the coffins was one belonging to a young girl named Giulia Rinaldi. Bishop Giovanni d'Ercole, who led the ceremony, told the painful story of how Giulia was found dead on top of her younger sister, Giorgia, apparently shielding her sibling from the downfall.

Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Firefighters help residents recover personal belongings from damaged houses in the village of Rio, Italy, on Sunday, August 28. A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck central Italy on Wednesday, killing more than 290 people. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams reach remote areas. Hide Caption 1 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Firefighters stand by an excavator in Amatrice, Italy,on August 28, as dangerously damaged buildings and overhanging ledges are pulled down. Hide Caption 2 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A rescued dog receives treatment in a veterinary care unit in Amatrice, Italy on August 28. Hide Caption 3 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Volunteers on motorbikes drive through the town of Villa San Lorenzo a Flaviano, Italy, on August 28 as they bring supplies to smaller villages. Hide Caption 4 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A destroyed house is seen on Saturday, August 27, in Pescara del Tronto, Italy. Hide Caption 5 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Police inspect rubble and debris in Amatrice, Italy, on August 27. Hide Caption 6 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A drone controlled by Italian firefighters flies over damaged houses in San Lorenzo, Italy, on August 27. Hide Caption 7 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Damaged coffins and rubble are seen at the cemetery of Sant'Angelo, Italy, on August 27. Hide Caption 8 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Rescuers of the Italian Red Cross carry the body of a victim in Amatrice, Italy, on Friday, August 26. Hide Caption 9 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Firefighters and rescue workers stand near the damaged Sant'Agostino church and a destroyed ice cream shop in the Italian village of Amatrice on Friday, August 26. Hide Caption 10 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A woman rests in the courtyard of a convent in Amatrice on August 26. Hide Caption 11 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Firefighters inspect a damaged building from the elevated platform of a firetruck in Amatrice on August 26. Amatrice has been the hardest-hit town, with more than 200 killed there. Hide Caption 12 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy An aerial view shows the damage in the village of Saletta on August 26. Strong aftershocks in the region have rattled residents and emergency crews. Hide Caption 13 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A man and woman comfort each other in front of a collapsed house in Amatrice on August 26. Hide Caption 14 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Firefighters cordon off an area around the rubble from a destroyed building in Amatrice on August 26. Hide Caption 15 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Emergency team members set up a tent camp for earthquake victims at a sports field in Arquata del Tronto on August 26. Hide Caption 16 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Rescuers make their way through destroyed houses in Pescara del Tronto on Thursday, August 25. It's unclear how many people remain trapped under debris. Hide Caption 17 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A field kitchen in Amatrice provides meals for emergency workers and earthquake survivors on August 25. Hide Caption 18 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Rescue and emergency service personnel use an excavator to search for victims under the remains of a building in Amatrice on August 25. Hide Caption 19 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy An old building in Amatrice is partly damaged after the quake. Hide Caption 20 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy An emergency services helicopter takes off in Amatrice as rescuers continue the search for survivors. Hide Caption 21 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A man rests on a bench after spending the night in a makeshift camp set up inside a gym in Amatrice on August 25. Hide Caption 22 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A bird's eye view of Amatrice shows the devastation after the deadly quake struck on Wednesday, August 24. Hide Caption 23 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Rescuers help a woman from the rubble in Amatrice on August 24. Hide Caption 24 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Search-and-rescue teams survey collapsed houses in Pescara del Tronto on August 24. Hide Caption 25 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A man cries as another injured man is helped in Amatrice. Hide Caption 26 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy This woman in Amatrice was wounded during the earthquake. Hide Caption 27 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Rescuers carry a man through earthquake debris in Amatrice. Hide Caption 28 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Rocco Girardi receives treatment after being rescued from the rubble in Arquata del Tronto on August 24. Hide Caption 29 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy The body of a unidentified child lies on a bench in Arquata del Tronto on August 24. Hide Caption 30 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy The quake left this house in ruins in Arquata del Tronto. Hide Caption 31 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Two people hug each other next to damaged houses in Pescara del Tronto. Hide Caption 32 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Two women pass along a stuffed toy in Amatrice on August 24. Hide Caption 33 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Residents take in the damage in Amatrice. Hide Caption 34 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy This aerial photo shows damaged buildings in Amatrice. The quake struck at 3:36 a.m and was felt across a broad swath of central Italy. Hide Caption 35 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy An emergency hospital camp is set up to treat earthquake victims in Arquata del Tronto. Hide Caption 36 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A woman tries to comfort her child in Amatrice on August 24. Hide Caption 37 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Residents survey a collapsed staircase in Amatrice on August 24. Hide Caption 38 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Residents of Pescara del Tronto care for an elderly earthquake victim on August 24. Hide Caption 39 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Search-and-rescue teams look for survivors in Pescara del Tronto. Hide Caption 40 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Survivors sit among the rubble of a house in Amatrice on August 24. Hide Caption 41 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Residents search for victims in Amatrice. Hide Caption 42 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy An injured man is rescued from a collapsed building in Amatrice on August 24. Hide Caption 43 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A man leans on a wall in Pescara del Tronto. Hide Caption 44 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A dog searches for people trapped in collapsed buildings in Amatrice. Hide Caption 45 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Rescuers search for victims in Amatrice on August 24. Hide Caption 46 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A man is pulled alive from the rubble. Hide Caption 47 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A man surveys damage near a dust-covered car in Amatrice on August 24. Hide Caption 48 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy Two people huddle together in Amatrice after the earthquake. Hide Caption 49 of 50 Photos: Earthquake strikes central Italy A rescue worker drives a truck of rubble as cleanup operations begin in Amatrice. Hide Caption 50 of 50

"They were holding each other, between them in embrace, both death and life," he said.

"A lot of the dead were children. So a thought to you young people -- we are now living in a time of war ... The earthquake is like a war because nature does not forgive. We have to defend ourselves because it is wise. We must have a dialogue with nature and never provoke nature," he said.

Relatives and friends attend a night vigil in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, ahead of Saturday's funeral.

But he also said that after the tragedy, the communities affected would be given new life: "A new spring and a new birth come."

"Faith is difficult. But faith shows us how to start again, with your feet on the ground and your face towards heaven."

The bishop led Holy Communion and blessed the dead, waving incense over their coffins as mourners signed the cross.

Scouts hold hands to form a ring around grieving families. A photo posted by @atikacnn on Aug 27, 2016 at 4:23am PDT

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and President Sergio Mattarella attended the the funeral, meeting with mourners and consoling them, making sure to reach each and every family on what was declared a national day of mourning.

'They're dead inside'

Outside the gym, 20-year-old Paul Manaut from Rome said he had been on holiday in the region with his family but had returned home to Rome when the quake struck. He grabbed everything he had from his apartment that would be of use -- toilet paper, shampoo -- and rushed back to the area, finding that he had lost some of his friends.

Photos: State funeral held for Italy's earthquake victims Photos: State funeral held for Italy's earthquake victims Firefighters carry the coffin of 9-year-old Giulia Rinaldo outside the gymnasium for the state funeral service for victims of the earthquake in Ascoli Piceno, Italy, Saturday, August 27. Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos: State funeral held for Italy's earthquake victims A woman touches a coffin of one of the victims during the funeral. Hide Caption 2 of 7 Photos: State funeral held for Italy's earthquake victims From left, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Italian Senate President Pietro Grasso, Italian Lower Chamber President Laura Boldrini and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi attend the funeral service. Hide Caption 3 of 7 Photos: State funeral held for Italy's earthquake victims A priest conducts services during the funeral. Hide Caption 4 of 7 Photos: State funeral held for Italy's earthquake victims Relatives mourn near coffins of victims during the service. Hide Caption 5 of 7 Photos: State funeral held for Italy's earthquake victims Relatives gather around the coffin of a victim. Hide Caption 6 of 7 Photos: State funeral held for Italy's earthquake victims Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, left, comforts a woman at the end of the state funeral service. Hide Caption 7 of 7

After the service, he said he hoped to start a Facebook campaign to help raise money to buy items for victims, including televisions so that the kids could play video games and the adults could watch movies to forget the disaster.

"They need help. They're not strong enough yet. They haven't even realized what happened. With our help and everybody's help, we're going to build them up, because it's not the houses that fell -- a house is a house ... It's the people, they're dead inside," he said.

Aftershocks continue

Even as communities mourned, the aftershocks rattled central Italy early Saturday, the US Geological Survey reported.

The rescue efforts continue through the aftershocks, though hopes of finding more people alive are quickly fading. Experts say the chances of survival drop significantly after a 72-hour period, a window that closed early Saturday.

In a hospital in Ascoli Piceno, one man talked about how he lost his mother in the earthquake.

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"My first thought is my mother is here but I can't help her," Mattia Rendina said from his hospital bed, his bones fractured, his face bruised.

"She passed away to God. She's gone now," he said, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I'm like this because my mother [taught] me to be a person like this. To be strong."

2,500 displaced in camps

To accommodate the displaced, emergency camps have been set up across affected areas, offering food, shelter and psychological support to those who have lost their homes and loved ones.

The Civil Protection Agency said 2,500 were living in the camps, and that more were being built to meet the enormous need.

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Images from an Amatrice camp showed people lining up for pasta and an elderly couple sitting on the edge of mattresses on a gym floor, having a meal as those around them hugged and consoled one another.

The Italian Council of Ministers approved a state of emergency Thursday for the regions affected by the earthquake, allocating 50 million euros (about $56.5 million) in funding.

People prepare to spend the night Thursday in a makeshift camp set up in a gym in Amatrice.

Residents gathered at a square in Amatrice, some of the women crying and hugging, as dust still lingered in the air. Men stood in stoic silence.

'So many dead, so many children'

At a camp in Sant'Angelo, northeast of Amatrice, people gathered and shared their stories of loss.

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"There is no hope, too many people dead. And Amatrice doesn't exist anymore," Angelina Leone said, holding back tears. "Amatrice has disappeared, and there are so many dead, so many children."

At yet another camp in Accumoli, Anna Maria Volpetti, 52, said she had been visiting her hometown with her family when the quake hit.

"We are lucky," she said. "The earthquake was brutal."