'Are we sure we need this kind of tourists in Florence?'
Photos of a tourist grinding on and kissing an iconic statue have sparked outrage in one of Italy’s most famous cities.
The unknown tourist was photographed climbing onto the replica of Giambologna’s Bacchus before posing inappropriately.
Patrizia Asproni, from Confcultura, a cultural heritage organisation, told LBC: ‘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.’
Bacchus is the Roman God of agriculture, wine and fertility, equivalent to the Greek god Dionysus.
The original sculpture is kept in a museum, as it was first created in the 1560s. The replica replaced it in 2006.
Florence Police chief Antonella Ranaldi said: “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.’
Marco Passeri, a former councillor for Florence, commented: ‘Are we sure we need this kind of tourists in Florence?’
Bad behaviour of tourists abroad has caused furor from locals in recent years – even resulting in Barcelona locals using water guns to make tourists leave.
Thousands have been demonstrating against the influx of tourists to the Spanish town, by squirting diners in popular areas with water pistols and chanting ‘go home’.
Spanish civilians have become fed up with the lack of affordable housing in their cities, resulting in the mayor of Barcelona pledging to eliminate short-term tourist lettings within five years.
The drastic move is in response to rising rents in the city, meaning that locals are struggling to afford to find anywhere to live.
Last year, 15.6 million tourists headed to Barcelona, one of the world’s most vibrant beach cities.
Rents in Barcelona have surged 68% in the past 10 years, while the cost of buying a house rose by 38%.
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