Italy

Building safety in Italy is the responsibility of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport on a national level, but is implemented and enforced on a local level. The underlying building safety guidelines are found in the Italian Civil Code, section 1655, as well as Decree Law No. 133 (neither source found online).

In general, the design, implementation and enforcement of building regulations (including plumbing) in Italy all occur at municipal level. All of these local codes must align with the framework regulations created by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport), but the local authorities at the municipal level have full implementation authority. Thus, while there is a great deal of harmonization among the municipal regulations, each municipality has its own version of the building regulations, so it is advisable to address the local authorities of each municipality directly. Each municipality has a separate website (see for example Milan’s website) which usually includes a link to a text of its own building regulations (Milan’s are available online here).  

Fire safety in Italy is regulated largely by the Ministry of Interior Affairs, which also has oversight of the National Fire Corps. Italian fire codes can be easily downloaded and examined through the VVF Norme app or through the links on the Fire Prevention Regulations web page.

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