Tomorrow marks 14 years since the cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground and partially capsized off Giglio Island, claiming 32 lives in one of the most tragic maritime disasters in modern cruise history.
In the late evening of January 13, 2012, the 114,500-gross-ton cruise ship struck the Scole Rocks. The impact tore a massive breach in the hull, flooding engine rooms, cutting power, and leaving the vessel without propulsion. Within hours, the ship listed heavily and partially capsized near the island’s shoreline, turning a routine Mediterranean cruise into Italy’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.
Fourteen years later, on January 13, 2026, residents of Giglio Island will once again pause to remember the victims. Commemorations will be held in a low-key manner, reflecting a long-standing decision by local authorities to honor the tragedy with dignity and restraint. A memorial Mass will took place at the Church of Saints Lorenzo and Mamiliano in Giglio Porto, followed by a torchlight procession and a moment of silence at the Red Pier, where a memorial plaque bears the names of the victims.
This day marks the heroic acts and humanity of many passengers and crew who will never be forgotten.
The investigation and trial that followed concluded that the disaster was caused by a combination of poor judgment, lack of preparation, and failures in emergency management. The evacuation, which lasted more than six hours in darkness and confusion, exposed serious weaknesses in onboard emergency response procedures.
Former captain Francesco Schettino was later convicted of multiple counts of manslaughter, shipwreck, and abandoning ship. He received a 16-year prison sentence, which he is currently serving in Rome.
The Costa Concordia no longer exists. Following one of the most complex salvage operations ever attempted, the wreck was righted, refloated, and towed to Genoa, where it was dismantled between 2014 and 2017. The operation cost more than €1.5 billion.
Despite the passage of time, the impact of that night remains deeply felt by survivors, families of the victims, and the residents of Giglio who sheltered thousands of evacuees in the hours following the accident. The memorial plaque at Molo Rosso and the waters off Punta Gabbianara remain powerful reminders of the human cost behind the headlines.
