A Long-Awaited Apology: CEO of Autostrade per l'Italia Addresses Morandi Bridge Tragedy

Arrigo Giana, the CEO of Autostrade per l’Italia (ASPI), has taken a significant step by publishing a letter of apology for the 2018 Morandi bridge collapse in Genoa, which resulted in the tragic loss of 43 lives. This letter appeared in prominent Italian newspapers, Corriere della Sera and Secolo XIX, and comes at a critical time, just before the announcement of the first-degree trial sentencing for Giovanni Castellucci, the former CEO of ASPI, who is the main defendant in the case. The Morandi bridge disaster, which shocked the nation, was attributed by the prosecution to negligence on the part of several ASPI executives and Spea Engineering, who allegedly ignored urgent warning signs regarding the bridge’s structural deterioration to evade maintenance costs. The ongoing trial has seen 57 defendants, with the prosecution seeking prison sentences ranging from 3 to 18 years for various executives and engineers involved. In his letter, Giana explicitly apologized to the families of the victims, the citizens of Genoa, and all Italians, acknowledging the pain the tragedy inflicted. Reflecting on the day of the incident, Giana recounted how, like many others, he was glued to the screen as the horrifying scenes unfolded. Since taking over the helm of ASPI in 2025, he has pondered why the company had not expressed an apology sooner. The lack of a timely apology had been a point of contention, with Alessandro Benetton, the president of the family holding company Edizione, admitting in 2022 that they should have acted immediately. At that time, the Benettons owned Atlantia, the holding company that controlled ASPI, but ownership was later transferred to Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), a public financial institution. Giana characterized this delay in expressing sorrow as another significant wound for the community, underscoring the need to break the silence and fulfill a moral obligation to the victims’ families. He concluded his letter with a pledge to ASPI employees, ensuring a commitment to safety and preventing future tragedies similar to the Morandi bridge collapse. Egle Possetti, who heads the Memorial Committee for Morandi Bridge Victims, expressed her surprise at the apology, which she felt should have been made much earlier. She maintained the moral accountability of the Benetton family despite their absence from the list of defendants in the trial. The trial, which commenced on July 7, 2022, has already accumulated 284 sessions focusing on the events surrounding the Morandi bridge disaster. With serious charges leveled against high-ranking executives, including 18 years and 6 months for Castellucci, who is already serving time for a separate tragic event that claimed 40 lives in 2013, the case continues to unfold before the public eye. As Italy grapples with the aftermath of the Morandi bridge tragedy, the recent apology marks a pivotal moment in the journey for justice and healing, highlighting the need for accountability in corporate management and infrastructure safety. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2