German Tourists Arrested for Defacing 460-Year-Old Italian Landmark
Two German tourists, part of a group of 11 students staying in an Airbnb in Florence, have been arrested for allegedly spraying soccer-related graffiti on the 460-year-old Vasari Corridor, a historic landmark connected to the Uffizi Galleries. The vandalism will require €10,000 worth of repairs, and the suspects were identified through video surveillance footage. Italy's Culture Ministry has stated that the repairs will be carried out under the watch of armed guards. This incident adds to a string of tourist-related vandalism in Italy, including defacements of the Colosseum and swimming in protected lagoons in Venice. Florence Mayor Dario Nardella called the act a "shameful act of vandalism," and Uffizi director Eike Schmidt has called for prison terms for violators of cultural heritage sites.