Pozzuoli, 'My home is safe, but I can't go back': The bureaucratic odyssey of an eighty-three-year-old evacuee

The documents filed with the Pozzuoli Municipality reveal an accounting and legal paradox that fully describes fifty days of bureaucratic stalemate. The home of Mrs. C., 83 years old and a certified civil disability, is officially habitable.

The technical report prepared by the experts on September 23rd is clear: no structural damage, no damage detected from the tremors. Yet, the woman cannot return to her apartment on Via II Traversa di Via Tranvai, where she has spent her entire life.

The building was evacuated by mayoral order on August 13th. This emergency measure was motivated not by the condition of the private building, but rather by the risk of collapse of the adjacent building: the church of Santa Maria della Purificazione, known as "dell'Angelo," a 1702 structure severely damaged by the bradyseismic swarm of July 31st. Since then, the elderly woman has been forced to live as a displaced person, staying with others.

Documents and omissions: a bankruptcy foretold

The documentation acquired by the Carpagnano-Doronzo Law Firm of Barletta, which is assisting the woman, reveals a critical situation prior to the recent seismic events. The report prepared by the Superintendency on August 14th describes a "terrible" state of repair, characterized by "serious" prior damage and a "risk of imminent collapse." The façade portal, in fact, was already propped up before July 31st.

The Fire Brigade's intervention report also highlights "very pronounced and widespread" cracking, with a concrete likelihood of "overturning mechanisms toward surrounding homes." Simultaneously with the evacuation, the Municipality issued an immediate order to the Diocese of Pozzuoli, the owner of the place of worship, requiring the immediate safety of the site. However, in the official documents dated September 23, the entry for emergency interventions carried out by the owner contains only three letters: "none."

The Bursar's response and the legal actions

Following the formal formal notice submitted on August 21st, the Diocesan Finance Office responded on September 29th. In the statement, the ecclesiastical body stated that it was "fully aware of the situation" but was "waiting to define any possible useful initiative," reserving the right to provide any updates "as soon as decisions are made." This response did not include a timetable, construction dates, or implementation commitments.

"My client isn't asking for millions of dollars in damages; she's simply asking for repossession of her home," explains attorney Luigi Doronzo. "We're talking about an 83-year-old woman, for whom every week of waiting is incalculable. If scaffolding isn't erected immediately, the matter will be brought directly to the attention of the judicial authorities."