A medieval tower collapsed in the center of Rome. What you need to know
The medieval Conti Tower, located in the center of Rome, partially collapsed on November 3, leaving one person trapped under the rubble. The building was under reconstruction, so none of the tourists were injured, but the workers who carried out the restoration were injured, and one person remains under the rubble. For more information about what happened and what the Konti Tower is known for, see the Izvestia article.
Consequences of the collapses
• Two partial collapses occurred at the medieval Conti Tower, located in a popular tourist area near the Colosseum. The first incident occurred during restoration work, as a result of which four workers were injured. A second collapse occurred during the rescue operation, and one of the firefighters suffered eye irritation and was sent to the hospital.
• Firefighters managed to rescue three people on the upper floors: two were slightly injured and refused hospitalization, and a 64-year-old man was taken to the hospital with a traumatic brain injury. Another worker remains under the rubble on the ground floor, they are trying to save him, but there is still a risk of repeated collapses.
• The Rome Prosecutor's Office has opened a criminal case under the article on causing harm to health. Prosecutor Mario Dovinola and the specialized department of the Judicial police for industrial accidents are conducting an inspection at the scene. A technical examination should determine the cause of the collapse. Rome Mayor Roberto Galtieri, Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli and heads of law enforcement services are at the scene of the incident.
The history of the Conti Tower
• The building was conceived as a fortified residence of the Conti family, belonging to the illustrious family of the Counts de Segni. It was located on the border of the territory of the warring Frangipani family, which owned the Colosseum until the middle of the 13th century.
• The beginning of the construction of the building dates back to the 9th century. The tower was built on the ruins of the Imperial Forums, buildings from the early Roman Empire, and was completed in 1238 by Richard Conti, the brother of Pope Innocent III.
• Initially, the height of the Conti tower reached 60 meters, for which it received a different name — the Main Tower (Torre Maggiore). The building was originally covered with travertine, a decorative limestone found in the ruins of the Imperial Forums, but the cladding was removed in the 14th century to decorate the Porta Pia gate, designed by Michelangelo.
• The building has survived several devastating earthquakes. After an earthquake in the middle of the year, the upper part of the tower collapsed, and it remained abandoned until 1620, when it was rebuilt by the Papal Chamber. Two earthquakes in 1630 and 1644 further destroyed the upper floors of the tower, and now its height is 29 meters. As a result of repairs at the end of the 17th century, during the reign of Pope Alexander VIII, two buttresses were added to the building.
• For a long time the tower was used as a barn and a coal warehouse. In 1937, Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini placed the building at the disposal of the Italian fascist stormtroopers of the Arditi special unit of the Royal Italian Army, who used it until 1943. The remains of the unit's leader, General Alessandro Parisi, are buried in the mausoleum in the Conti Tower in an ancient Roman sarcophagus.
• Later, the offices of the City Hall were located here, but the premises of the Conti Tower have not been used since 2006. The reconstruction project of the building was designed for four years: restoration work was planned to be completed next year. During the restoration period, the area near the tower was closed to pedestrians.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
