Italy: German tourists blamed for damaging 19th

The statue, known to be around 150 years old and valued at $218,000, was located within the grounds of Villa Alceo, which the tourists had rented.

A group of 17 young tourists from Germany is being blamed for causing significant damage to a 19th-century Italian fountain statue.

Surveillance footage clearly shows the group pushing over the statue, named "Domina," while they were taking photos.

The statue, known to be around 150 years old and valued at $218,000, was located within the grounds of Villa Alceo, which the tourists had rented.

Bruno Golferini, the manager of Villa Alceo, expressed his dismay, saying, "Sadly, there are these ignorant people who do these kind of things.”

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The unfortunate event occurred when a couple of tourists decided to embrace the statue inside the fountain. One of the tourists then used a stick to push the statue, causing it to topple over.

Golferini has filed a complaint against all 17 tourists, who have since departed from Italy. Law enforcement is currently investigating the incident based on the surveillance footage.

Repairing the statue poses a challenge due to damage sustained by various tiles within the fountain. Efforts to identify the tourists and obtain surveillance video footage from the villa are still ongoing.

Local authorities have been vocal about the incident, with Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and Councilor for Culture Francesca Caruso both condemning the actions of the group. Caruso emphasised that those who cause harm to artistic and cultural treasures must be held accountable financially.

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This occurrence adds to a series of incidents involving vandalism across Europe during the summer, including accusations of defacement of the Roman Colosseum and a Canadian teenager carving his name into a historic Japanese temple.

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