A female tourist has sparked outrage after bizarrely was caught "stimulating sex" with the treasured statue of Bacchus in Florence.
The blonde woman, whose identity and nationality have not been revealed, has been slammed for being "disrespectful" after she was seen climbing up to Giambologna's Bacchus and kissing the prized Italian bronze statue. The tourist also stood in front of the sculpture while grinding as her friends took photos of the act. Meanwhile, a second woman in black shorts and a white t-shirt was pictured kneeling in front of the stature, imitating a sex act.
Following the shocking acts, officials are being urged to crack down on the disrespect shown by holidaymakers and want a "zero policy" introduced. '"Florence is a city that does not make visitors respect it. These continuous manifestations of rudeness and incivility occur because everyone feels entitled to do what they want with impunity,' Patrizia Asproni from Confcultura, a cultural heritage organisation, said. "We need to apply the " Singapore model": tight controls, very high fines, zero tolerance", she added.
Residents were outraged by the images which were posted on a local Facebook group. One wrote: "Here is the respect for Florence" as she blasted the tourists in the Italian city. The footage quickly went viral in Italy, with one resident writing online: 'We should force tourists to take a test on Florence before they can set foot in the city.'
Police chief Antonella Ranaldi said tourists are welcomed but must show "respect", adding: "Tourists are welcome, but there must be respect for our monuments, whether they are originals or copies. Also because I doubt that this lady, who has my blame, knows the difference.'"
Some disgruntled locals have demanded the female tourists go to prison over the "sexual" photoshoot with the statue, which is a replica of the original bronze Bacchus, which was created by Giambologna in the 1560s and is kept at the Bargello Museum.
It was replaced by the replica in 2006 and stands on top of an original ancient marble fountain called 'del Centauro', which the women had to climb to reach the statue. The shocking incidents come just a month after a tourist was caught carving his name on an ancient wall in Pompeii. The man, who is from Kazakhstan, was caught damaging one of the walls.
The unnamed man will be made to remove the graffiti and pay for any damage after he was reported to the police The park director, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, called it "an uncivilised act", adding: "Thanks to the new law supported by Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano, the perpetrator of the crime will have to pay for the restoration of the wall. Well done to the ministry collaborators and the Ales company who promptly intervened. Excellent collaboration with the police, who we thank for their promptness."