On 23 May 2021, a cable car cabin on the Stresa-Mottarone line fell from the summit station after a cable break, killing 14 of the 15 people on board. The subsequent investigation revealed that safety brakes had been deliberately disabled by resort management. The trial, concluded in 2025, and its implications for Italian cable car safety form the focus of this article.
The Mottarone Disaster: What Happened
The Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone cable car is a classic gondola lift connecting the town of Stresa on Lake Maggiore with the summit of Monte Mottarone (1,491 m). On the morning of 23 May 2021, a haul rope broke near the summit. The emergency braking system, which should have arrested the cabin’s fall, failed to operate. Investigation showed that the “forchettoni” (fork-shaped emergency brake disablers) had been deliberately inserted into the braking mechanism to prevent its operation.
The cabin fell approximately 20 metres and collided with the cables, then fell a further 300 metres into wooded terrain. Fourteen people died; one child survived with severe injuries.
Why the Brakes Were Disabled
The investigation established that the emergency brakes had been repeatedly triggering due to a worn rope component. Rather than close the lift to make the repair, management chose to disable the brakes to maintain operations. The commercial pressure of the first full operating day after Covid lockdown reopening was identified as a contributing factor.
The Trial and Verdicts (2025)
The trial concluded in 2025 with convictions for:
- The lift company director: convicted of multiple manslaughter and sabotage
- The lift technical director: convicted of multiple manslaughter
- Several maintenance personnel: various convictions
The sentences ranged from eight to sixteen years. The case attracted widespread public and media attention as the first major Italian conviction in a recreational transport safety case for several decades.
Regulatory Changes Post-Mottarone
The disaster prompted immediate and sustained regulatory review of Italian lift safety:
Immediate Measures (2021-2022)
- Emergency inspection order for all Italian cable car installations over 30 years old
- Mandatory immediate verification of emergency braking systems on all operational lifts
- Temporary closure of approximately 40 lifts pending safety certification review
- New requirement for daily operational checklists signed by licensed technicians
Structural Changes (2023-2026)
New ANSFISA (National Safety Agency for Rail, Road and Cable Installations) protocols:
- Mandatory annual third-party inspection of all haul rope components
- Electronic monitoring systems required on all new installations
- Real-time brake system monitoring with automatic shutdown on anomaly detection
- Mandatory incident reporting system for all near-misses and minor technical failures
Licence and training reforms:
- Stricter certification requirements for lift operators and maintenance personnel
- Mandatory refresher courses every two years
- Increased penalties for operating with known safety deficiencies
The Current State of Italian Lift Safety
Italy has approximately 2,700 operational ski lift installations. Post-Mottarone reforms have resulted in:
- 62 permanent closures of installations deemed unfit for continued operation
- 187 major upgrades required and completed before relicensing
- 8 new prosecutions for safety violations discovered during inspections
- Compliance rate with the new ANSFISA protocols: 94% as of January 2026
The lift industry body (ANEF) has invested significantly in a public communication campaign emphasising the statistical safety of modern Italian installations: in the decade before Mottarone, no deaths occurred in Italian ski lift operations.
For Visitors: Understanding Lift Safety
For ski resort visitors, the practical implication is that Italian lifts are subject to rigorous inspection and certification requirements. When you board a gondola or chairlift, the following applies:
- The installation has a current operating licence issued by ANSFISA
- The haul ropes were inspected within the last 12 months
- Emergency braking systems are tested daily before passenger operations begin
- The operator holds a valid certification
- An incident reporting line is available (posted at lift stations)
The Mottarone tragedy was the result of deliberate, criminal disabling of safety systems. The regulatory response has made a recurrence of this specific failure significantly harder. Italian ski lifts remain among the safest forms of transport in the world on a per-journey basis.