In the centre of Rome, on Largo Corrado Ricci, a medieval tower has collapsed, built around 1238 by the brother of Pope Innocent III as the residence of the powerful Conti di Segni family

Last night one of the workers who had been trapped beneath the rubble died of his injuries in hospital. The Torre dei Conti was undergoing restoration under a contract worth €7 million.

The first collapse occurred on 3 November at about 11:30. It affected the central buttress on the southern side, which in turn brought down part of the sloping base. At 13:00 a second collapse followed, destroying the internal structures, part of a staircase flight and the roof slab.

It is well known that in Rome many medieval houses, and even houses with fragments of ancient structures built into them, are still lived in. But tragedies such as this show how dangerous it can be to live in a house that is also a monument.