Naples — The Teatro Sannazaro was completely destroyed by a fire that left even the auditorium furnishings intact. Inspections conducted during the firefighting operations confirmed the building's total devastation.
Deputy Prosecutor Antonio Ricci, head of the unit in charge of the investigation, opened for negligent arson against unknown persons, arrived at the scene. The prosecutor assigned to the case is Mario Canale. The investigation will determine the origin of the fire and any culpability.
Firefighters: "When we arrived, the condition was already serious."
The alarm was raised at 6:05 a.m., when smoke was reported coming from the theater's dome. "When the crews arrived, the situation was already compromised, and unfortunately, little remains of the theater," said Giuseppe Paduano, provincial commander of the Naples Fire Department.
There are currently two active outbreaks in two apartments adjacent to the building: "We will soon be able to control these as well. The situation is under control," Paduano assured.
Internal collapses and intervention made difficult by the structure
During the operations, two floors collapsed, one of which occurred while rescuers were inside: the personnel managed to escape by sensing the imminent danger.
The Prefecture of Naples emphasized the particular complexity of the intervention, due to the building's structural configuration: a system of corridors connects the theater to the surrounding buildings, facilitating the spread of the flames.
Operations to extinguish the fires affecting the theater and surrounding apartments are still ongoing.
Changes and revisions to this article
- Article updated on 17/02/2026 at 11:12 PM - Improved image quality
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
It's truly sad that the Teatro Sannazaro was destroyed in this way. People should be able to enjoy culture and entertainment, but now there will be nothing left. Let's hope it can be rebuilt.