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Il tesoro è andato distrutto durante la tempesta.

Il tesoro è andato distrutto durante la tempesta.
The treasure was destroyed during the storm.
From Lesson 384:The passive of loss and destruction (andare + past participle)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Il tesoro è andato distrutto durante la tempesta.

Why use è andato distrutto instead of è stato distrutto?
Both form the passive voice, but using andare instead of essere as the auxiliary adds a specific nuance. It emphasizes the tragic or irreversible loss of the subject. This construction is uniquely used with verbs of loss or ruin like distruggere, perdere (to lose), and bruciare (to burn).
Why are there two past participles in a row (andato and distrutto)?
The verb andare is acting as the passive auxiliary here, and because the event is in the past, it is conjugated in the passato prossimo. So, è andato is the auxiliary, and distrutto is the past participle of the main action. Because the subject il tesoro is masculine singular, both participles must agree and end in -o. If the subject were feminine, like la nave (the ship), it would be è andata distrutta.
Can I use this andare passive construction with any verb?
No, it is highly restricted. You can only use andare to form the passive with verbs that express loss, destruction, or misplacement. For a normal action like the book was read, you must use the standard auxiliaries essere or venire (è stato letto or viene letto), never andato.
Does durante need a preposition after it, like durante della tempesta?
No, durante connects directly to the noun it modifies. Unlike some other prepositional phrases in Italian that require an extra a, di, or da, you simply follow durante with the definite article and the noun: durante la tempesta.

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