The Italian culture ministry has said that a 19th-century monument in Milan, damaged by climate protestors last month, would need extensive restoration.
The monument in question is the Piazza del Duomo, a 19th-century bronze equestrian statue designed by Italian artist Ercole Rose. The memorial commemorates the victory of Vittorio Emmanuele II, King of Sardinia and eventually the King of Italy. Located in Milan, the grand statue is one of the city’s prime attractions.
On March 9, the climate activist group Ultima Generazione organized mass protests in the city. The protests were allegedly an act of ‘civil disobedience’ against the Italian government for their significant investment in fossil fuel extraction. The group alleged that the Italian government invested 41.8 billion euros in extracting fossil fuel in 2021 alone. During the protests, two activists – a 23-year-old female and a 26-year-old male – sprayed gold paint on the structure and defaced it.
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Now, officials from the Italian culture ministry have revealed that initial attempts to remove the paint and clean the monument have been unsuccessful. More extreme methods – like spraying it with water jets – could damage the statue. Gennaro Sangiuliano, Italian culture minister, said that they would now require sophisticated methods to restore the monument which would cost significant money. The exact amount required has not been revealed. On the other hand, Ultima Generazione – which is affiliated with the A22 group of climate activists – claimed that they always use non-permanent paints in their protests.