Naples – Fear continues, fortunately without serious consequences, in the narrow streets of Naples' historic center. This morning, a cornice and flower boxes broke off from a building in Piazzetta Sant'Anna di Palazzo, crashing to the ground with a roar that startled residents and passersby.
The collapse affected a significant portion of the cornice, also taking with it several flower pots that adorned the façade. Fortunately, the stretch of road was lightly used at the time: no injuries were reported, either among pedestrians or passing motorists.
The incident comes just three days after a similar, albeit more unfortunate, incident that occurred on Boxing Day on Via Toledo, the main Christmas shopping street. On that occasion, debris had fallen from a building and fallen into the crowd: two young tourists, aged 22 and 25, both from the province of Rome, had received minor head injuries.
Rescued immediately by 118, they were transported to Pellegrini hospital with yellow code and subsequently discharged after receiving appropriate treatment (one with a lacerated-contused wound to the scalp, the other hit by splinters).
Two events in less than 72 hours, just a few hundred meters apart, have brought the delicate issue of safety to the forefront of Neapolitan historic buildings, many of which have suffered from decades of lack of maintenance, water infiltration, and structural deterioration. Firefighters and municipal police responded to the scene to cordon off the area, secure the façade, and assess any further risks to surrounding buildings.
The cause of the detachment is currently being investigated: experts currently believe it to be the progressive deterioration of the materials, aggravated by the recent waves of bad weather that hit Campania between Christmas and Boxing Day.
"Once again," commented a local resident, "luck has saved us. But how long will we have to rely solely on luck in a city where the historic center is a World Heritage Site, yet seems increasingly fragile?"
The City of Naples has already announced that extraordinary inspections will be carried out on the buildings surrounding the square and that a broader inspection will be launched into the state of conservation of the cornices in the historic center's quadrilateral. Meanwhile, this is yet another warning sign that Naples can no longer afford to ignore.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
This news is very worrying, especially because it demonstrates that buildings in Naples are unsafe. We hope the authorities take serious measures to prevent similar incidents. Citizen safety is paramount.