Tourist Charged with Damaging Historic Florentine Fountain in Pre-Wedding Prank A 28-year-old tourist has been charged after allegedly climbing the Neptune fountain in Florence’s Piazza della Signoria to touch its genitals as part of a pre-wedding dare, according to reports from multiple news outlets. The incident occurred on April 22, 2026, and resulted in minor but significant damage to the 16th-century monument. Police responded quickly after spotting the woman climbing the colossal marble statue. She was removed from the monument and stated that her friends had dared her to touch Neptune’s genitals. City council officials confirmed the account in a public statement. Experts from Florence’s city council inspected the fountain and found damage to both the legs of the horses at the base of the statue and to the frieze the woman held onto to avoid slipping. The damage was described as “minor but significant,” with repair costs estimated at €5,000 (approximately £4,300–£4,340). The fountain, officially known as the Fountain of Neptune, was commissioned in 1559 by Cosimo I de’ Medici to celebrate the marriage of his son, Francesco I de’ Medici, to Joanna of Austria. It was sculpted by Bartolomeo Ammannati and features a central statue of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, surrounded by horses pulling a shell-shaped chariot. This is not the first incident involving the monument. In 2005, CCTV cameras were installed after a visitor climbed the statue and broke one of its hands. More recently, in 2023, a German tourist caused damage attempting to climb the monument for a selfie, and a couple tried to scale a replica of Michelangelo’s David in Piazzale Michelangelo the same summer. The woman has been charged with defacing an artistic and architectural asset under Italian law. No further details about her nationality or potential penalties have been released by authorities. Repair and cleaning work on the fountain is ongoing, with officials emphasizing the importance of protecting Florence’s cultural heritage.
31