The Torre dei Conti, a 29m-tall fortified residence built near the Colosseum in the 13th century, partially collapsed on Monday (3 November), causing the death of a Romanian worker who was trapped under rubble for 11 hours...

The tower, which has been closed since 2007, was undergoing a €6.9m restoration project as part of the Caput Mundi-Next Generation EU heritage regeneration project, funded by the EU’s post-Covid economic reconstruction programme.

The project involved conservation work, the installation of electrical, lighting and water systems and the installation of a new museum dedicated to the final phases of the Roman Imperial Forum, officials said...

While firefighters liberated the first three workers shortly after the first collapse, they did not retrieve the fourth—Octay Stroici, reported to be in his 60s—until 11 hours later. He had sustained a critical head injury and later died in hospital...

The first phase of the structure’s restoration, which involved the removal of asbestos and preliminary work, began in June following structural surveys and load tests, according to a statement by Rome municipal art authorities.

The restoration was being carried out by two respected Rome-based specialist restoration companies—Edilerica, founded in 1920, and Picalarga, founded in 1878—according to Italian media.

Prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation over Stroici’s death...