by InTrieste
A bomb scare that forced the evacuation of the Palazzo di Giustizia in Trieste on Monday morning turned out to be a false alarm. Authorities cleared the scene at 10:45 a.m., an hour and a half after the initial evacuation order.
The alert began at approximately 9:15 a.m. when an anonymous call was placed to the liquidation office of the courthouse. A woman’s voice delivered a terse warning: “Bomb by the bar side,” before abruptly hanging up.
Law enforcement swiftly responded, initiating evacuation protocols. Judges, clerks, administrative staff, attorneys, and members of the public were escorted out of the courthouse in an orderly fashion as sirens echoed through the halls.
A security perimeter was promptly established around the building, with firefighters, state police, local police, and the Carabinieri securing the area. Hundreds of evacuees spilled onto the surrounding streets, seeking shelter from the gusty Bora wind in nearby cafés, building lobbies, and under parking lot awnings.
As a precaution, students from the Dante middle school and Carducci Dante high school, located in the nearby Via Giustiniano, were also evacuated.
The incident caused significant traffic disruptions, with major roads around the courthouse—including Foro Ulpiano, Via Coroneo, Via Fabio Severo, and a section of Via Zanetti near the synagogue—shut down until authorities gave the all-clear.
The Trieste bomb disposal unit conducted a thorough inspection of the building but found no explosives. The situation was declared safe, and normal activity resumed shortly before midday.
Police have launched an investigation into the source of the hoax call.
