Italian officials slam tourist who ‘mimicked sex acts’ on a statue of Bacchus in Florence
The country’s culture ministry and officials in Florence have expressed their fury over the incident after pictures went viral on social media, with the Florence mayor’s office calling it an act that “mimicked sex.”
Florence City Hall said the tourist had not been identified yet and suggested that she was “presumably in a state of inebriation.”
They said that if identified, she would be fined and could be banned from the city for life, in line with an ordinance that prohibits any sort of abuse of cultural heritage in the country.
The statue is a replica of the original created in the 16th century by sculptor Giambologna. The original is kept in the Bargello Museum in the centre of Florence.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The incident, attracting global attention due to its peculiar nature, has sparked discussions about respect for cultural heritage in Europe and beyond the world. Despite the ongoing investigation, there's concern about the growing number of disrespectful incidents towards historical artifacts globally.
