A tourist filmed simulating sex with a statue of Bacchus — the Roman god of wine and excess — in Florence could be banned from the city.
The woman, whose identity and nationality are not yet known, was branded “disrespectful” after she was seen climbing up the bronze statue, a replica of the original by 16th century sculptor Giambologna, near the city’s Ponte Vecchio.
Residents were outraged by the images, which were posted on a local Facebook group.
One said: “This is the result of years of attempts at turning Florence into Disneyland.”
Another wrote: “My goodness, the level of stupidity.”
Patrizia Asproni, the president of Confcultura, an association that promotes Italy’s cultural heritage, was quoted by the BBC saying that these “repeated shows of rudeness and barbarity” take place “because everyone feels entitled to do whatever they want with impunity”.
Ms Asproni also advocated for implementing the “Singapore model”, which involves strict checks, hefty fines, and zero tolerance for misconduct.
Italian officials are trying to identify the woman, with Florence City Hall suggesting she was “presumably in a state of inebriation”.
It said that, if found, she would be fined and could be banned from the city for life.
The country’s culture ministry was outraged after the pictures of the tourist’s actions were shared widely on social media. The mayor’s office in Florence called it an act that “mimicked sex”.
