VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has made a surprise visit to the site of the devastating August earthquake in central Italy, praying silently alone amid the rubble in the hardest-hit part of the devastated town of Amatrice.

The Vatican announced the pope’s visit to the quake zone in central Italy shortly after his arrival this morning, in keeping with Francis’ plans to keep the visit private.

“I didn’t come earlier so as not to cause problems, given your condition,” the pope said, according to Vatican Radio. “I didn’t want to be a bother.”

Photographs released by the Vatican showed the pope praying amid the rubble with Amatrice’s medieval bell tower, still standing in what has become a symbol of hope, visible in the background.

From Amatrice, the pope was expected to visit the hard-hit towns of Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto.

The Aug. 24 quake killed nearly 300 people and left another 4,000 people homeless.