Chieti moves ahead with Palazzo d’Achille rebuild plan and expands home indemnity in Santa Maria

The municipality of Chieti intends to approve a variant to the Palazzo d’Achille project, the historic town hall building damaged in the 2009 earthquake. Mayor Giovanni Legnini inspected the structure with local officials; technical reviews found defects in works carried out in 2018‑2019 that increased seismic risk. The revised plan calls for demolition and reconstruction of the faulty sections, seismic strengthening and completion of the building, with a professional contract to be awarded in the coming days. The goal is to adopt the variant within three to four months and start construction in spring 2027, using the €5 million currently allocated, which may prove insufficient.

A separate municipal ordinance (No. 3, 31 July) changes the indemnity rules for properties in the Santa Maria neighbourhood affected by hydrogeological instability. Owners of primary residences can now request cash compensation based on market value without having to purchase a new home in Chieti or rebuild. The mayor met with the local committee and civil‑protection officials to discuss extending the application deadline to 30 September and clarifying procedures. Funding and technical staff remain pending a national DPCM, while the municipality continues planning public interventions for risk mitigation and demolition of unsafe buildings.