In Italy, authorities have decided to crack down on acts of vandalism on architectural stones. Mostly, these are tourists who want to leave their time in Rome, Florence or Milan in their own way.
In recent months, many foreign travelers have been caught red-handed or found after police investigations. In late June, a visitor to the Colosseum surprised another tourist who was busy carving his name and that of his fiancée into the Roman amphitheater, sparking outrage in the country.
In July, a young Swiss woman was accused by Italian police of scrawling her initials on the walls of the Colosseum.
>> Read: A Swiss woman has been accused of vandalizing the wall of the Colosseum in Rome
At the end of August, in Florence, the colonnade of the Vasari Corridor near the Ponte Vecchio was marked with inscriptions that inspired a Munich football club. Thanks to surveillance cameras, the two German tourists responsible for the damage were identified.
Government’s reaction
This summer saw other vandalism, notably in Milan, in the upper part of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
It is difficult to say whether these acts of vandalism are increasing because they are not necessarily listed. But whatever the case, officials are now promising a firm response.
After the Florence incident, Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano announced that “the slightest scratch will henceforth be subject to legal action”. He also assured that new measures will be taken at the beginning of the academic year.
Severe punishments
The penalties awarded are already substantial. In 2014, a Russian tourist was fined 20,000 euros and sentenced to four years in prison for scrawling the letter “K” on one of the walls of the Colosseum.
But while judicial proceedings are often very long, the culture minister wants to speed up procedures by allowing the administration to use immediate sanctions against those responsible for the damage.
Acts of destruction on historical monuments evoke genuine condemnation in public opinion. Some art critics have seized the opportunity to renew the debate about mass tourism, which, in their opinion, degrades Italian cities.
Radio subject: Eric Joseph
Web Adaptation: Mac
“Avid gamer. Social media geek. Proud troublemaker. Thinker. Travel fan. Problem solver.”