A 22-year-old German tourist was detained in Florence and was later accused with charges for damaging a 16th-century statue in Neptune Fountain in Piazza della Signoria. Reportedly, this damage costed about 5,000 euros (around 5,400 dollars).
The tourist, whose name remains disclosed, allegedly climbed a protective barrier around the monument and posed while being on the Neptune statue with two friends, who stayed on the other side of the barrier. As a result, the fountain of Roman sea god Neptune was damaged when the young man attempted to climb down from the statue. According to the authorities, the group of friends took photos of themselves and the city on Monday, September 4 and escaped when the alarms rang. The official statement says:
“According to the investigators’ reconstruction, after 1 o’clock this morning the tourist, in Piazza della Signoria with two other friends, climbed over the fence of the Neptune Fountain and climbed onto the edge of the pool.”
The report added:
“With a jump he then climbed onto the horse’s leg, reaching the base of the carriage and, after having some photos taken by his friends, he climbed down. During the descent, he placed his foot again on the hoof, damaging it. As soon as the alarm went off, however, the young man had already managed to escape with the two others.”
In consequence, the German tourist will be charged under a code in Florence against the destruction, deterioration or damaging of cultural/landscape goods. If he is found guilty, he could be fined and eventually banned from entering Florence in the future.
In the latest act of vandalism against Italy’s cultural heritage, a German tourist caused around €5,000 worth of damage to Florence's statue of Neptune after climbing onto the 16-century monument for a photo.https://t.co/jlwU0RFakq
— Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) September 5, 2023
