By T. Jayani, JadeTimes News
Outrage has erupted in Italy after a female tourist in Florence was photographed miming a lewd act on a statue of the Roman god Bacchus. The images, which were posted online by the social media account Welcome To Florence, also show the woman kissing the life size statue at night.
The statue of Bacchus, a modern replica of the 16th century work by sculptor Giambologna, stands on a plinth at a street corner near the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge. The original piece is housed in the nearby Bargello museum.
The photos have ignited angry reactions from social media users, with some calling for the woman's arrest. One commenter attributed the incident to the city's transformation into a "Disneyland" for tourists.
Patrizia Asproni, president of Confcultura, an organization promoting Italy's cultural heritage, expressed to Italian media that these "repeated shows of rudeness and barbarity" occur because "everyone feels entitled to do whatever they want with impunity." Asproni advocated for adopting the "Singapore model," which includes strict regulations, hefty fines, and zero tolerance for misconduct.
Antonella Rinaldi, Florence's superintendent of archaeology and fine arts, stated that while tourists are welcome, they must respect the city's artworks, whether originals or replicas. She doubted whether the woman, whom she condemned, could even distinguish between the two.
Florence, one of the world's premier tourist destinations, saw approximately 1.5 million visitors between June and September 2023, despite having a population of only 382,000. Local residents have long struggled with the massive influx of tourists, which transforms the city's narrow streets into crowded thoroughfares during summer.
This phenomenon of "overtourism" has led several cities worldwide to reconsider how they manage tourist influxes. Recently, the mayor of Barcelona pledged to eliminate short erm tourist rentals within five years, and other popular destinations, such as Venice and Japan's Mount Fuji, have introduced daily charges to limit visitor numbers.
