Full Breakdown
Giovanni Castellucci Sentenced for 2018 Morandi Bridge Collapse
7/16/2026, 9:48:25 PM
The Verdict and Sentencing
On July 16 2026, an Italian court sentenced former Autostrade per l’Italia chief executive Giovanni Castellucci to 12 years in prison for complicity in multiple counts of manslaughter through negligence. The ruling stems from the August 14 2018 collapse of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, which killed 43 people when a 50-metre section fell during a summer storm. Of the 57 defendants tried, 32 were convicted, receiving sentences ranging from one year and eleven months to twelve years. The courtroom was filled with roughly 400 relatives of victims, lawyers, and journalists.
Background and Context
The Morandi Bridge, designed by Riccardo Morandi and opened in 1967, was a key segment of the A10 motorway linking France and Italy. On the eve of a national holiday, torrential rain caused stay-cable No 9 to fail, leading the bridge to collapse and sending as many as 35 vehicles onto warehouses and the riverbed below. The disaster sparked a prolonged inquiry into Italy’s ageing infrastructure, a political battle over control of the motorway network that ended with the Benetton family relinquishing Atlantia’s controlling stake, and the demolition of the bridge’s remains. A replacement structure, the Genoa San Giorgio Bridge, designed by architect Renzo Piano, opened in August 2020.
Key Figures and Groups
- Giovanni Castellucci – former CEO of Autostrade per l’Italia and Atlantia.
- Michele Donferri Mitelli – senior motorway official, sentenced to 11 years.
- Paolo Berti – former number two at Autostrade, sentenced to 5½ years.
- Antonino Galatà – former chief executive of maintenance firm Spea, sentenced to 5½ years.
- Mauro Coletta – former top official in the transport ministry’s motorway directorate, sentenced to 5 years.
- Egle Possetti – spokesperson for the victims’ families.
- Giovanni Paolo Accinni – Castellucci’s defence lawyer.
- Arrigo Giana – current head of Autostrade per l’Italia, who issued a public apology.
Data and Statistics
- 43 fatalities, 35 vehicles on the bridge at the moment of collapse.
- 57 individuals faced trial; 32 convicted.
- Sentences: 12 years (Castellucci) down to 1 year 11 months.
- Prosecutors sought more than 400 years total imprisonment, including 18 years for Castellucci.
- Castellucci is already serving a six-year term for a 2013 viaduct disaster.
Official Statements & Responses
Prosecutors argued that years of postponed maintenance and ignored warning signs contributed to the collapse, while defence lawyers maintained that a fundamental design flaw in stay-cable No 9 made the disaster unavoidable. After the verdict, Arrigo Giana said his company’s “actions and decisions of some people left indelible scars.” Victims’ families expressed mixed reactions; some described the sentence as “acceptable,” while others said they needed more time to process the outcome.
Criticism & Opposition
Defence counsel emphasized that “the criminalisation of the chief executive cannot be the solution,” contending that no maintenance programme could have prevented a failure rooted in the bridge’s original design. Critics of the verdict argue that focusing on individual responsibility may overlook systemic issues in Italy’s infrastructure oversight.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The principal dispute lies between prosecutors’ claim of negligent maintenance and the defence’s assertion of an inherent design defect. Sources differ on the exact number of vehicles present (reported as “as many as 35” versus “35”), but the overall casualty figure remains consistent at 43.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We need to better understand the ruling; there are a large number of defendants involved,” — Egle Possetti, spokesperson for the victims
- “This is a defeat for the truth of what happened,” — Giovanni Paolo Accinni, lawyer for Castellucci
- “The suffering caused by the Genoa tragedy is immense and deserves respect. But the gravity of the event requires justice to remain based on individual responsibility, not the search for a scapegoat.” — Castellucci’s lawyers (statement)
- “the actions and decisions of some people left indelible scars” — Arrigo Giana, head of Autostrade per l’Italia
