Eight years after the Morandi Bridge tragedy, Genoa remembers the victims

Genoa is today commemorating the 43 victims of the Morandi Bridge collapse, which took place on 14 August 2018. At 11.36 am eight years ago, part of the Polcevera viaduct on the A10 motorway collapsed: pier nine and a section of the bridge approximately two hundred metres long gave way. Forty-three people died in the disaster and hundreds of residents were forced to leave their homes. Today, the city is commemorating that tragedy with an official ceremony at the Radura della Memoria in Via Walter Fillak – the first since the first-instance verdict in which, less than a month ago, the judges sentenced 32 of the 57 defendants to a total of approximately 177 years’ imprisonment. Among them are the former chief executive of Autostrade per l’Italia, Giovanni Castellucci, who was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment, and Mauro Coletta, who at the time of the events was director of motorway concession supervision at the Ministry of Infrastructure, and who was sentenced to five years.

The ceremony, organised by the City of Genoa in collaboration with the Committee of Relatives of the Morandi Bridge Victims, began at 9 am with a Mass in the parish church of San Bartolomeo della Certosa, officiated by the Archbishop of Genoa, Monsignor Marco Tasca. At 10.15 am, the relatives of the victims and the authorities arrived at the Radura della Memoria, whilst at 10.45 am the ceremony began in the presence of the Mayor, Silvia Salis; the Prefect, Cinzia Torraco; the President of the Liguria Region, Marco Bucci; and the Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Edoardo Rixi. The programme includes the laying of wreaths, speeches by officials and relatives of the victims, and performances by the Genova Sinfonietta orchestra, conducted by Matteo Manzitti, and the rapper Vago. At 11.36, the time of the collapse, a minute’s silence will be observed. 

"Memory must not be a candle that time consumes, but an ember that continues to burn. It is up to all of us, every 14 August, to rekindle it and keep the flame of remembrance alive," wrote Marco Bucci, President of Liguria and mayor of the city at the time, on social media this morning. "A tragedy that has left its mark on the conscience of the entire nation and whose memory demands that our institutions remain unwavering in their commitment to truth and justice. Genoa’s extraordinary response remains a testament to the dignity of a people, but the memory of that tragic 14 August 2018 must remain a lasting warning: the protection of human life and the safety of citizens are a primary and non-negotiable duty of the state,” wrote Senate President Ignazio La Russa. Egle Possetti, chair of the Morandi Bridge Victims’ Memorial Committee, made a stark statement on the sidelines of the commemoration: “The state has undoubtedly been seriously at fault in our case. We all know this; we have always said so. Precisely for this reason – because of those colossal errors that were made, including regarding the concession – we expected a strong government presence here today. Of course, Deputy Minister Rixi, who is from Genoa and is always present – and whom we always thank for his support – is here, but today we would have liked to see a stronger government presence,” she said. “Among those convicted are state officials who failed to carry out their supervisory duties. Our property – that of the citizens – was handed over to private operators, and it was allowed to collapse. So nobody was keeping watch, and that is also the significance of these convictions. For us, today is a slightly different 14 August. Clearly, this is the first-instance judgement, but it already clears the air somewhat of the misrepresentations, the lies, and what we have heard over the past eight years during the trial,” he concluded. Commenting on the ministers’ absence, Under-Secretary Rixi said that “the government is paying close attention to this matter; it is no coincidence that the Prime Minister herself insisted that I be here to represent the entire government”.

Since yesterday and throughout this evening, a video dedicated to the victims has been shown on the screen at the Regional Government headquarters: their names scroll by, one by one, in the heart of the city, as a sign of remembrance and solidarity with the families. Meanwhile, yesterday afternoon in the atrium of Palazzo Tursi, the headquarters of Genoa City Council, a photographic exhibition was inaugurated, featuring over a hundred images by Genoese photojournalists, in the presence of Mayor Salis and Governor Bucci.