Bolzano appeared to narrowly avoid disaster on Thursday. This morning part of the Palace of Justice collapsed in the capital of the state of South Tyrol. Fire department images show a large hole in the building’s ceiling. Debris is scattered on the stairs. Where recently justice was administered in courtrooms, you can now admire the Dolomites. According to information, the middle part of the building collapsed. It is ruled out that the damage was caused by an explosion.
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There were no serious injuries or deaths. President of the court Francesca Bortolotti told the Ansa news agency: “At the time of the collapse, there were only three people in the Palace of Justice – three cleaners.” One person was slightly injured. Tyrolean media reported that falling debris injured a cleaner’s hand. She disappeared briefly after the collapse, but was contacted by telephone and escorted safely out of the building.
Bolzano: “It could have been a tragedy”
Court staff were not present at the time of the incident. Bortolotti spoke of a “miracle” and added: “It could have been a tragedy.” According to the chairman of the court, the collapse occurred due to repair work on the building’s support column. A definitive investigation into the static cause is ongoing.
The Alto Adige newspaper reports that technicians are currently on site. They say they are checking whether there is a further risk of collapse. According to the Bolzano fire service, the drone is also being used to “gain technical knowledge of the situation and the collapse.” Search dogs are on the scene, and the area around the Palace of Justice is cordoned off.
The Palace of Justice is a relic of the fascist regime
Meanwhile, the collapse affected not only the courthouse. For many residents of Tyrol, the Palace of Justice has a special meaning. The building, built by the fascist dictatorship, including the Tribunal Square in front of it, became a key project of the Italianization of South Tyrol.
Following Italy’s annexation of the predominantly German-speaking territory after World War I, fascism in the 1920s and 1930s tried specifically to turn Bolzano into a major Italian city. The court square was built as a new monumental administrative center in a rationalist architectural style to demonstrate the power of the Italian state.
The courthouse itself, designed by the architect Paolo Rossi de Paoli, has a clearly visible Latin inscription on the facade, which translates as: “For the Italian Empire, with virtue, justice, hierarchy, with claws and teeth.” Many residents of South Tyrol, especially the German-speaking and Ladin-speaking population, consider the fascist motto an insult. Critics have called for the inscription’s removal or at least historical contextualization for decades.