ROME — President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will attend the State funeral on Friday in Padua for three Carabinieri officers killed during an eviction near Verona. The government has declared a national day of mourning.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday in a farmhouse at Castel d’Azzano, where officers were enforcing a judicial eviction order. The property was booby-trapped with gas canisters that detonated as police entered. The blast destroyed the building, killing the three Carabinieri and injuring several others, including firefighters and police colleagues.
The victims were identified as Luogotenente Marco Piffari, 56, Brigadiere Capo Valerio Daprà, 56, and Carabiniere Scelto Davide Bernardello, 36. All three served in the Carabinieri’s Veneto command. They are being remembered as dedicated officers who lost their lives in service to the State.
The State funeral will take place at Padua’s Basilica of Santa Giustina, with full honours. President Mattarella and Premier Meloni will join senior military and police officials, relatives, and thousands of citizens expected to attend. Flags across Italy will fly at half-mast on Friday in tribute to the fallen.
Prosecutors have arrested three siblings — Dino, Franco, and Maria Luisa Ramponi — in connection with the explosion. Investigators believe they deliberately set the gas trap inside the farmhouse to resist eviction. The suspects are under investigation for premeditated murder and the attempted murder of other officers injured in the blast.
Earlier eviction attempts delayed due to threats
Local authorities said earlier eviction attempts had been delayed due to threats made by the occupants. Verona’s prosecutor described the event as a “planned massacre.” The case has shocked the country and is being compared to the 2003 Nasiriyah bombing, the last incident to claim multiple Carabinieri lives in a single attack.
In a statement, President Mattarella expressed “solidarity with the Carabinieri Corps and deep condolences to the families.” Prime Minister Meloni said the tragedy “reminds us of the courage and sacrifice of those who defend citizens every day.” Opposition leaders and unions also paid tribute, calling for stronger safety measures during high-risk operations.
The investigation continues as forensic teams examine the ruins of the farmhouse and analyse the remains of the gas cylinders. Prosecutors in Verona said they will seek the maximum sentence for those responsible.
Friday’s ceremony in Padua is expected to draw a large public turnout, with the coffins of the three officers carried by their fellow Carabinieri. Bells will toll across the country at midday.
