Overview

• On July 7 at around 22:00 a section of Essenza’s roof slab collapsed during dinner service in Terracina, killing 31-year-old sommelier Mara Severin and injuring ten others, three in critical condition.
• Initial forensic checks by Vigili del Fuoco and technical experts point to a structural failure of a recently serviced concrete slab, with investigators dismissing the region’s yellow weather alert as the primary trigger.
• The Procura di Latina, led by PM Giuseppe Miliano, has placed Essenza under judicial seizure and launched an inquiry into involuntary manslaughter and grievous bodily harm against as-yet-unnamed parties.
• Founded by chef Simone Nardoni in Pontinia in 2011 and moved to Terracina in 2019, Essenza secured its Michelin star in 2020 and was celebrated for its territory-driven cuisine and 850-label wine cellar curated by Severin.
• The tragedy has shaken Terracina’s community and intensified scrutiny of structural safety standards in Italy’s high-end dining venues.