Collapse of the Tower of Conti in Rome
A section of the 13th-century Tower of Conti, located near the Colosseum and Forum, collapsed, resulting in one death and serious injuries to another individual.
On Monday, part of the upper floor of this High Medieval fortress, originally constructed by Pope Innocent III in 1203 for aristocratic families, gave way while workers were engaged in restoration efforts. Firefighters used ladder trucks to rescue several workers, although some suffered more severe injuries. Tragically, a Romanian builder lost his life after being trapped under the debris for eleven hours. Although rescuers managed to pull him out and rush him to the hospital, attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Romania’s Foreign Ministry expressed gratitude towards Rome’s emergency services for their “tireless” work in the rescue operation, highlighting that another Romanian worker was saved. They noted in a statement, “Despite the continued efforts of the medical team in Rome, Mr. Oktav Stroich sadly passed away after being trapped under the rubble of a historic building undergoing restoration work.”
In response to the incident, Rome prosecutors have initiated an investigation into the cause of the collapse, looking into possible charges such as “negligent disaster,” manslaughter, and serious bodily injury.
The Tower of Conti, initially reaching a height of 165 feet, was built in the 13th century amid a trend in medieval Italy where influential families constructed fortified towers for protection and social status. The oldest section of the structure can be traced back to the 9th century, standing on the ruins of an ancient Roman temple. Before the collapse, the tower had been reduced to 95 feet due to damage from an earlier earthquake.
While much of the building remains intact, the interior has sustained significant damage.
According to Il Giornale, which reported on the incident, the Tower of Conti, previously housing government offices, had been unoccupied for about two decades, leading to deterioration from water damage and intrusive plant roots. Researchers are considering that heavy rainfall in the days leading up to the incident, along with a minor earthquake the day prior, might have contributed to the collapse.
An important aspect to note is that the tower is currently undergoing a lengthy restoration project, funded by the European Union. While this work aims to secure the tower’s future, such restoration periods can pose significant risks to historic structures, as seen with Notre-Dame Cathedral and Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange, both of which suffered devastating fires during renovation efforts in recent years.
