Vandals Threaten Italian Monuments

Archaeology Odyssey ^ | July 28, 2004 | editors

[SunkenCiv]

A number of Italian statues, fountains and archaeological sites have been under attack from vandals and professional thieves recently, obliging authorities to take extra measures to protect them. The wave began last month in Venice, when a 38-year-old man with a history of psychological problems was caught three days into a rampage in which he took a hammer to five of the city’s historical sites. Coverage of the event has spurred copycat instances, mostly in Rome. Last week the 360-year-old Fontana delle Api (Fountain of Bees), commissioned by Pope Urban VIII and created by Gianlorenzo Bernini, was attacked by vandals who smashed away bees that decorate the sculpture. In the area surrounding the Piazza del Popolo, someone chipped away hands, faces, feet and arms from a number of statues, including one ancient work. In extreme cases, thieves have even used circular saws to behead Roman statues—some more than 2,000-years-old. In this latter case, experts suspect the thieves were working to order, possibly for private collectors. Authorities have begun assigning extra security at certain sites and are working to install webcams in places considered possible targets.

[SunkenCiv]

It's just a coincidence that Italy has a growing Moslem population.

[SunkenCiv]

...but seriously folks, the dismantling of public buildings and reducing statues to lime in kilns dates back to the time of the Roman Empire, and was a real nuisance even back then. There were dozens of imperial proclamations prohibiting vandalism. Unfortunately, they were issued in Latin...

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[EggsAckley]

Vandals....? Yeah, right. The Islamonazis just issued a warning to Italy to get their troops out of Iraq.