Bolzano courthouse partially collapses during renovation, all hearings postponed

A large section of the Bolzano courthouse collapsed early on 16 July 2026, forcing the postponement of all civil and criminal hearings except urgent ones. The Fascist-era building was undergoing renovation when load-bearing pillars gave way, causing at least a quarter of the structure to cave in.

Only three cleaners were inside at the time of the collapse, around 6:24 a.m. One suffered minor scratches.

At the time of the collapse, only three people -- three cleaners -- were inside the courthouse; only one suffered minor scratches, but it can be called a miracle.

Prosecutor Axel Bisignano said the entire central part is unusable and that the priority is to restore service and redistribute the workforce. The Free University of Bolzano offered space to host court activities. Mayor Claudio Corrarati said the collapse has deeply affected citizens and that the city is working with provincial authorities to find new premises.

The National Association of Magistrates (ANM) called the incident the latest alarm, stating it had submitted a dossier with 500 images of courthouse degradation to the government, which has not responded.

What happened in Bolzano this morning is the latest alarm. Too many courthouses have had serious structural problems for years. We delivered a dossier with 500 images on the decay of numerous judicial offices to the government: it can no longer remain unanswered.