A 28-year-old tourist has been charged with damaging a historic fountain in Florence after she climbed the colossal marble statue of Neptune to touch its genitals as a pre-wedding prank. Police spotted the woman on the monument in Piazza della Signoria and quickly removed her. She told officers her friends had dared her to perform the act.
The Neptune fountain, created by sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati, was commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici in 1559 to celebrate his son’s marriage. Experts from Florence’s city council inspected the monument and found that the prank caused “minor but significant damage” to the legs of the horses she walked on and the frieze she held onto. The damage is estimated at €5,000 (£4,340).
This is not the first such incident. CCTV was introduced in 2005 after a visitor broke the statue’s hand. In 2023, a German tourist caused significant damage trying to climb the monument for a selfie. Giorgio Caselli, who manages the city council’s fine arts office, said such acts have become increasingly trendy as “challenges” among visitors.
Florence attracts around 16 million tourists annually, and officials are struggling to protect its heritage. Caselli called for greater respect, stating, “Our goal must be to awaken and cure the civic sense of those who frequent the city.”
