Culture minister slams “absurd act of barbarity” amid fresh debate over security of public monuments in Italy.
Rome’s Elephant and Obelisk sculpture designed by Italian Baroque master Gian Lorenzo Bernini was found to be missing the tip of its right tusk on Monday night.
The marble tusk from the 17th-century “elefantino” was discovered at the base of the sculpture in the central Piazza della Minerva, just steps away from the Pantheon.
Investigators are studying video surveillance footage to determine whether the breakage was a deliberate act of vandalism or the result of wear and tear.
Crucially, the broken fragment remained in situ, which experts from the capitoline superintendency believe will facilitate a more effective restoration process.
Commissioned by Pope Alexander VII and unveiled in 1667, the monuments features an Egyptian obelisk from the 6th century BC mounted on the back of a marble elephant.
Culture minister and Bernini exhibition
“It is unacceptable that the nation’s artistic and cultural heritage should once again suffer such grave damage”, Italy’s culture minister Alessandro Giuli said in a statement, pledging that cultural authorities would restorate the sculpture, “one of the most significant symbols of the capital, struck by an absurd act of barbarity.”
The incident occurred just days after the inauguration of a blockbuster exhibition dedicated to Bernini at the Palazzo Barberini.
Precedent and challenges
This is not the first time the sculpture has been damaged.
The monument suffered a near-identical injury 10 years ago when the tip of its left tusk was broken off. At that time, the restoration was completed swiftly but the incident exposed vulnerabilities in the city’s surveillance network.
The latest damage highlights once again the precarious balance between the public’s free access to art and the necessity of protecting fragile works from the pressures of over-tourism.
Photo RAI News
