Horrifying things Tourists have done in Italy

The sad tales of Horrifying things Tourists have done in Italy just brings out the worst of tourists misbehaving in Italy, Italy being one of the most visited countries in the world, but sadly it comes with its consequences.

Spare The Art…for the Children!

Graffiti … Is it really Art??

At what point does graffiti become art? Just how far do we have to go to make defacing more about art and less about dissension? And before we get to the stage where we are talking about self-expression, do we have the right to do this to art from centuries or even millennia back?

Of the two above pics, one represents artistic expression, the other a piece of cultural heritage gifted to us from an age and people so far and long ago, it is the only thing that remains of their minds.

Rome’s Pantheon

Okay let’s just say on normal buildings it’s okay, but now we are talking about THE PANTHEON! Only a psycho would do a graffiti on this 2 millenia old Famous and magnificent structure and worst of all write,” Aliens Exist!”…. Yes, the aliens do exist….in the minds of such stupid people for sure!

The ancients were also interested in civic duty and dissent. Post elections, many communes, towns, and cities are faced with the aftermath of dealing with stained walls, covered lamp-posts, and unfortunate walls.

So why is the graffiti above so cherished we cannot bear get rid of it, the other an offense to the eye?

Scala dei Turchi daubed RED!

This particular incident was galling! The spot on the coast of Realmonte, on the Mediterranean’s largest Island of Sicily called the Scala dei Turchi is exquisitely beautiful because of the white limestone formations. Recently, a pair of men took it upon themselves to drag bags filled with red iron oxide powder. The reaction of the powder and the limestone could forever damage the natural wonder of the world. The cowards couldn’t even summon the courage to do it with their own bare hands; gloves were found at the scene of the crime!

Tourists behaving badly in Italy

Trevi dips

I don’t know whether I would call the incident back in April when a pair of Dutch tourists decided to take a bath in the Trevi Fountain worse.

Bernini bathing

A similar case happened at the Bernini Baths, this time a trio of German tourists taking an unsanctioned bath at the Tritone Fountain some time back in July.

Pompei

In August, tourists in Pompeii were treated to the carabinieri chasing down a daring Australian tourist who’d snuck a moped via the Porta Vesuvio.

Volcano selfie

On 10 July 2022, saw a 23-year-old American tourist fall into the crater of Mount Vesuvius, the volcano looming over Naples, while taking a selfie! The man, who fell several metres into the crater after losing his balance, was rescued by carabinieri and received treatment for his light injuries from emergency services. The tourist and his family were then reported by police, along with two other visitors, for taking the prohibited route which was clearly marked as highly dangerous and out-of-bounds.

How BIZARRE!

Venice Surfing …

I am a surfer and this looks sooo coool! Ahem, scherzo (jokes)!!

Almost as if in response to the challenge, another pair of Australian youths went surfing in Venice’s Grand Canal. The two Australian tourists who were fined €1,500 each and “expelled” from the city. 

A Belgian tourist was not to be outdone; in September, he stole a water taxi, driving it down the canal. Wonders of the World PART 2 SERIES!!!

Carving into the Colosseum

By now, many have heard about the 17-year old Bulgarian student who took it upon himself to go about vandalizing the Colosseum, spraying an initial of her name on the ancient walls. Another incident was from a pair of Californian youths doing the same.

Vatican Museums

A madman, an American, went on a rampage at the Chiaramonti Museum in Rome, throwing down two busts whose age and antiquity are older than any particular political system in existence today.

Apparently, he became enraged after being informed that it would not be possible for him to meet Pope Francis!

In 2017, someone taking a selfie smashed a statue of St. Michael in Lisbon. It was an accident. The same year, a Romanian woman destroyed a pair of candelabra at the Pantheon. This time, it was not an accident; she deliberately grabbed the ornaments and smashed them into the floor. As if that was not enough, she proceeded to Hulk-stomp and crush them with her bare fists.

These two incidents appear different, but from my perspective, they are the same. Bot involve the destruction of cultural artifacts over 2 centuries old. The destruction of these will be a loss we may never recover, regardless of whether they were deliberate acts of vandalism and destruction, or accidents borne of carelessness and disregard for museum rules.

Of the three images above, two were expressions of political dissent, one an unacceptable act of destruction.

You see, way back then, chipping off the nose of a statue, defacing it, was a way to demonstrate how unhappy you were with the regime. More importantly, it was not just done by the people living in their times and age, but the act of defacement was actually done by the consent of the people around. Often, it would be the reigning government that took the lead in defacing the statues left over by the previous government.

Piazza Venezia

This was not the case when recently, an Argentinian man crashed his drone on the roof of the Palazzo Venezia.

Now, my memories and thoughts about Mussolini match that of many an Italian. Yet, just because he loved giving his speeches at the Palazzo Venezia doesn’t mean I want to do away with the building and memory altogether.

We are not the Taliban here!

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Another pair of Mexican tourists did the same with their drone, this time crashing it into the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Pent-up frustration and rage can lead one into making many mistakes, saddling them with regrets for the rest of their lives. What COVID forced upon many only went towards enhancing these feelings.

A Bad couple of years

I can understand someone taking out their frustration on something weaker. I just don’t agree with you doing it to art that is supposed to help us overcome and remember parts and pieces about our lives.

Built over 2 years, from 1723 to 1725, the Scalinata di Trinita dei Monti, more popularly known as the Spanish Steps among most of the rest of the world, were intended to beautify a church built over the Pincian Hill. That is not remarkable. What is remarkable is that discussions over the steps were initiated close to two centuries earlier when France’s Sun King, Louis XIV, reached his claws towards Rome.

Spanish Steps

I am saddened by the news that recently, a pair of American tourists threw their scooter down the Steps, causing significant damage to the cultural monument.

Just a few years earlier, a Saudi on tour drove his Maserati down the steps, prompting changes to rules about sitting on the very steps themselves. No, we don’t care if it’s a Maserati!

Forgive me; I have particularly fond memories of the Steps. It was one of the first places I took my daughter when I arrived in the country.

Italy is just now coming back up online. In a good year, we would receive some 30 million tourists coming to see any number of places and artifacts gathered over the millennia.

The thought is thrilling; such appreciation creates a feedback emotion.

I am also in a measure of dread; how many among these tourists come harboring dark designs?

No. I am not saying we should close our borders back up. I am not even saying we should fear further destruction and limit exposure.

The ancients knew their stuff! Their sculptors somehow knew someone would take exception to their works and so built them to last. Those two busts the old guy threw down? Luckily, they can be restored!

To an extent…

It will take 15000 Euros to restore the pair. And some hundreds of hours.

They won’t get back to how they were. However, people can still see most of what they were. I guess it will be another bit of cultural heritage we impart our grandkids, regaling them with tales of the old nutters who would hound the statues.

A World of Heritage

 Why do I keep mentioning this tourist from Argentina, that from America, the Romanian, the Chinese, the Nigerian?

It is because each of these tourists come from countries with their own impressive heritages, histories, and a wealth of cultural artifacts. Some of these countries host artifacts and sites perhaps older than what Italy offers. Perhaps richer in content and depth.

You know, I sometimes feel that the reason we get many tourists from some of these countries is because they too have rich cultural histories of their own. They want to see what else the world has to offer.

It is like a rich man taking interest in the ebony upholstery in the home of another, comparing it to their own made from agar.

The comparison is meaningless on their own; every different culture’s collection through history is as immense as it is splendid. The comparison is just made for its sake, save for the pleasure one gets at savoring something different.

I feel that we should respect what our ancestors left us. At the very least, appreciate that if these artifacts made it this far, we should take up the challenge and see how much further they can go.

That’s it on Horrifying things Tourists have done in Italy so don’t be a tourists misbehaving in Italy!