Decennale

Decennale is an adjective meaning ten-year in Italian and is used in legal, architectural, and insurance contexts to denote a ten-year period or liability. The term derives from Latin decem (ten) and annus (year).

In Italy, decennale is most closely associated with the garanzia decennale, a ten-year liability guarantee for construction works. Established in the Italian Civil Code, the decennial guarantee covers damages to a building’s structural integrity or usability caused by defects in design, execution, or materials, for ten years from completion or delivery of the work. Liability is typically strict, meaning it does not depend on fault. Builders and sometimes suppliers obtain a decennale policy (polizza decennale) to insure this obligation, with premiums and terms set by insurers. The policy generally requires prompt notification of defects and outlines remedies such as repair or compensation. Ordinary wear, maintenance issues, and damages from external events are usually excluded.

In France, a comparable concept is the garantie décennale, a mandatory ten-year guarantee covering structural damages resulting from construction work. This regime places responsibility on professionals involved in design and execution, with coverage provided through professional liability insurance for the required period, including protections for subcontractors as applicable.

Outside legal usage, decennale can simply mean anything relating to ten years and may appear in contracts, product terms, or historical references where a ten-year period is specified.