In a bizarre incident the Italian officials are trying to identify a young woman who was seen kissing, grinding and also humping against a statue of Bacchus. He is the God of wine and sensuality
The country’s culture ministry and Florence officials are outraged after photos of the incident went viral on social media. The mayor’s office called it an act that “mimicked sex.”
Florence City Hall stated that the tourist has not yet been identified and suggested that she was likely intoxicated.
They mentioned that if identified, she would face a fine and could be banned from the city for life, according to an ordinance that protects cultural heritage.
The statue involved is a replica of the original created by 16th-century sculptor Giambologna, who was influenced by Hellenistic sculpture and Michelangelo, and who settled in Florence in 1552.
The original Bacchus statue is housed in the Bargello Museum in central Florence. The replica is located near the Ponte Vecchio bridge.
This act has sparked widespread outrage.
The never-ending issue with unruly tourists
Italian authorities have been dealing with misbehaving tourists for years.
In 2022, a man faced charges after driving a Maserati down Rome’s famous Spanish Steps. That same year, tourists were fined for surfing on Venice’s Grand Canal.
In 2023, a group of young tourists was accused of toppling a valuable statue while posing for social media photos at a villa in northern Italy. In Florence that same year, a tourist was detained for allegedly damaging a statue in the 16th-century Fountain of Neptune in Piazza della Signoria.
