Vandals Assault Roman Treasures

Police walking a beat in Rome have more than pickpockets to look out for. A new rash of vandals and treasure hunters has afflicted the home of the Roman Empire and the Catholic Church, a city so stuffed with artifacts it is difficult to protect.

Whether to destroy or capture an irreplaceable piece of Western civilization, attackers have targeted the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain and an ancient Egyptian obelisk.

The BBC reports that 1,200 new security cameras could help police efforts, but cameras can only document a crime—not prevent it.  —PZS

BBC:

In the first attack, a man was caught on security cameras chipping two pieces off a marble statue on a fountain in the Piazza Navona.

Hours later tourists watched as a man threw a rock at the famous Trevi Fountain in the centre of the city.

Police then said they caught an American student scaling a wall of the Colosseum to chip off pieces of marble.

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Wikimedia Commons / FSU Guy CC-BY-3.0

The Trevi Fountain may be stunning or gaudy, depending on whom you ask. Regardless, it is one of Rome’s most frequented destinations.