{"id":323610,"date":"2026-04-24T02:09:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T20:39:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=323610"},"modified":"2026-04-24T02:09:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T20:39:36","slug":"tourist-charged-after-damaging-neptune-statue-following-pre-marital-dare-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/tourist-charged-after-damaging-neptune-statue-following-pre-marital-dare-national\/","title":{"rendered":"Tourist charged after damaging Neptune statue following \u2018pre-marital dare\u2019 – National"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A tourist has been charged with defacing a creative and architectural asset after allegedly climbing a marble statue in Florence as a part of a \u201cpre-marital dare\u201d to the touch the statue\u2019s carved genitals, Italian officials said.<\/p>\n

The tourist, only identified as a 28-year-old woman, tried climbing the Fountain of Neptune on Saturday, but was quickly spotted by municipal police.<\/p>\n

Police said her behaviour \u201ccaused minor but significant damage to the fountain in Piazza Signoria,\u201d according to a news release from Florence\u2019s city council<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The girl told police that she entered the Fountain of Neptune, \u201cclimbing over each the railing and the sting of the basin.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cTo avoid entering the water, she climbed directly onto the legs of the horse carrying the shell. Her intention was to \u2018touch\u2019 the statue\u2019s private parts as a kind of pre-marital dare,\u201d officials said.<\/p>\n

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The officers, who were nearby, \u201cimmediately intervened, removing her from the fountain.\u201d<\/p>\n

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On Tuesday, a specialist from the Fabbrica di Palazzo Vecchio inspected the location to find out whether the prank had caused any damage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe inspection revealed small but significant damage to each the hooves of the horses she had ridden and to a frieze she had held onto to forestall slipping,\u201d officials said. \u201cThe girl has been reported to the Judicial Authorities for defacing an artistic-architectural monument.\u201d<\/p>\n

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