Europe Asia News

Built in 1238 by Pope Innocent III and located in Rome’s historic center near the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, the tower partially collapsed around 11:30 a.m. during restoration works funded by Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Rome’s fire department dispatched three operational teams, two ladder trucks, and specialized units to the site. Three workers stranded at the top of the tower were evacuated through a door using ladder vehicles, while a fourth worker was removed from the structure.

Initial reports indicated that one person remained under the debris as rescue operations continued.

Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri arrived at the scene after local police, under the I Centro Group, closed pedestrian and vehicle traffic along Via dei Fori Imperiali to facilitate the emergency response. The Capitol District Directorate also arrived at the site.

The tower had been abandoned for years before the current renovation project began. Authorities provided no information on the extent of structural damage or the cause of the collapse.

The incident occurred in one of Rome’s most visited areas, adjacent to the archaeological site of the Imperial Forums, in the heart of the Italian capital’s historic district.