There Tower of the Counts of Rome it partially collapsed while recovery and restoration works were taking place on the building. The causes of collapse of the structure of the Imperial Fora – during which a 66-year-old worker remained stuck in the rubble for 11 hours lost his life – have not yet been confirmed by the authorities: here is a reconstruction of the dynamics and two plausible scenarios.
In any case, as reported by Roma Capitale, before the intervention, structural investigations had been carried out with the aim of «check the static suitability of the structure» and who had confirmed the safety conditions necessary to proceed with the works. Let’s see the state of the Torre dei Conti and what the structural recovery works were planned for.
The state of the Torre dei Conti before the start of the works
According to the project sheet published on the Roma Capitale website, the objective of the restoration project is «the structural recovery, safety and protection of the Torre dei Conti and its underground part (undergrounded.)», with a view to transforming the building into a museum dedicated to the most recent phases of the Imperial Forums and into a «Service Center of the Central Archaeological Area».
Over the course of its long history, the Torre dei Conti – located in Largo Corrado Ricci, at the confluence of Via Cavour and Via dei Fori Imperiali – has also been used as the seat of some public offices, which were then transferred in 2006: since that year, the building has no longer been used or maintained, which is why it was in a state of total abandonment and decay, both inside and out.
In particular, as regards the external part, «from direct visual investigation it is revealed that the external wall facing presents extensive and widespread phenomena of decohesion of construction elementswhich has favored the development of at various points spontaneous vegetation». Precisely this vegetation, penetrating its roots into the masonry, had already aggravated the phenomenon of decohesion, with the consequent detachment of materials.
Among other things, as underlined by several experts immediately after the collapse, the problem of spontaneous vegetation and weeds would also be common to other ancient monuments of the capital, including the Aurelian walls and the aqueducts.
Inside, however, the structure was in a state of “general dilapidation” and, during these 19 years of abandonment, the collapse of some modern false ceilings, the deterioration of the frames of all the windows and doors, as well as various damages to the paintings that decorate the lower part of the stair flights and other rooms.
According to what is reported in the project sheet, on the top floor of the Tower, infiltrations were recorded in two different environments, caused by the continuous stagnation of water at the level of the terrace, a terrace which also suffered the detachment of the floor protection sheath (sheath then renewed in 2019).
The restoration work of the Torre dei Conti in detail
In short, the need for restoration work for the Torre dei Conti was already evident from the analysis provided by Roma Capitale 3 years before the collapse. Specifically, the project launched involved the implementation of works and works for:
- works of static consolidation;
- restoration conservative of the building;
- realization of facilities electrical and lighting engineering, as well as lifting and water systems;
- abatement of architectural barriers;
- museum setup dedicated to the most recent phases of the Imperial Forums;
- realization of a Service center for the Central Archaeological Area for citizens and tourists;
- realization of one conference room for cultural initiatives and exhibition spaces for small exhibitions;
- rcreation of a journey visit to the Towerto be valorised in its historical-artistic value (also with multimedia installations), and to the underground part, also to be valorised in the context of its belonging to the forensic complex.
The structural recovery works, which began on 1 June 2022, should have continued until 30 June 2026: according to what was reported by Roma Capitale, at the time of the partial collapse of the Tower, the first phase of the works was underway which included the removal of asbestos and some preliminary works for an amount of approximately 400,000 euros.
The Capitoline Superintendence has however highlighted how, before the restoration works began, some measures were carried out structural investigations, from the load tests and core sampling (taking samples from the subsoil) with the aim of «check the static suitability of the structure” and who, according to what was reported, had confirmed the safety conditions necessary to proceed with the work on the attics.
Overall, the cost of the redevelopment works amounts to 6.9 million euros, financed thanks to funds from the PNRRthe National Recovery and Resilience Plan: the intervention is part of the “Caput Mundi”, launched to recover and enhance the cultural heritage of Rome – and of the whole of Lazio – on the occasion of the Jubilee.
Immediately after the collapse, the Rome Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation for disaster and manslaughter: as a result, it is possible that the renovation work will be halted to allow the authorities to carry out their investigations.
