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Italy to punish monument vandals with longer jail terms

Italy will tighten penalties for those convicted of vandalizing the country’s prized monuments, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini has said.

Published: 10 February 2016 12:09 CET

Italy to punish monument vandals with longer jail terms

Rome's Barcaccia Fountain after it was damaged by Dutch football fans last February. Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP

The move comes days after vandals trashed a staircase at the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, a building initiated by dictator Benito Mussolini and designed as a symbol of the Fascist era.

The building, in Rome’s EUR district, opened its doors in 1953. It was renovated between 2003 and 2008, and has been home to the fashion house, Fendi, since last September.

Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana. Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP

Franceschini said on Tuesday that a new bill, which sets a maximum prison terms of 15 years for those convicted of vandalizing Italy’s monuments, is now ready.

The crackdown also comes almost a year after drunken Dutch football fans tore through the city, causing €5 million worth of damage, ahead of a game between Feyenoord and AS Roma.

Some €1.2 million worth of that damage was caused to the Barcaccia Fountain, at the foot of the Spanish Steps, and which had only just re-opened after a costly renovation.

The high profile story prompted former mayor Ignazio Marino to announce a clean-up of the city’s fountains, while hiking fines for those caught throwing rubbish in them, or taking a dip.

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Updated: What is Italy's Palio di Siena and where can you watch it?

The renowned Palio di Siena horse race returns on Saturday, August 17th, with jockeys racing it out in Tuscany’s medieval jewel, Siena.

With origins dating back to 1633, the Palio di Siena is Italy’s most famous historic horse race.

The event is a competition between the neighbourhoods of Siena, called contrade, with each contrada having its own coat of arms and patron saints. There are 17 contrade in Siena, but only 10 compete – this year’s competitors are; Chiocciola, Oca, Istrice, Selva, Lupa, Valdimontone, Onda, Nicchio, Leocorno and Civetta.

It occurs twice a year in Siena’s main square, Piazza del Campo. The first race took place this summer on July 2nd. Each Palio lasts a total of four days; three days of celebrations and the final day being the race itself.

The race consists of three laps of Piazza del Campo. The starting point (the mossa), is made up of two ropes in which the 10 participating horses and jockeys must wait in order. The horse, with or without a jockey, which completes the three laps first wins.

The prize is a large silk-painted canvas, known as the drappellone, which is designed and created every year by a different artist.

Over the centuries, the race has only been cancelled a handful of times, including for World War II and the Covid pandemic.

In recent years the Palio has been the subject of protest from animal rights groups who state that the horses suffer during the competition. Preliminary investigations into a defamation trial began at the start of June this year, after Walter Caporale, the national president of animal rights group Animalisti Italiani (Italian Animalists) was accused of defining the event’s organisers as “sadistic and uncivilised.” The next hearing is set for February 28th 2025.

The final race this year was supposed to take place on Friday, 16th August but it was cancelled due to heavy rain.

Watch the Palio di Siena live on television or via streaming on Italian channel LA7 from 4.45pm on Saturday.

Are you tuning in to the Palio di Siena? Let us know what you think about it in the comments below.

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