A tourist has sparked fury among locals after posing for a photo while pretending to play with an iconic Florence statue.
Photographs showing the woman imitating lewd acts on the statue were shared online and deemed “an absolute disgrace”.
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In the images, the anonymous woman was seen climbing the bronze statue of Bacchus by Giambologna in the Borgo San Jacopo neighborhood of Florence.
The blonde tourist, of unknown nationality, was caught pretending to kiss the famous statue while hugging it.
In another photo, the unfortunate tourist – dressed in a black t-shirt and denim shorts – stood in front of the sculpture and rubbed her bottom against it.
Her friend, wearing a white shirt and black shorts, could also be seen simulating a sexual act while kneeling in front of the monument.
The offensive photos went viral online, sparking widespread demands to crack down on disrespectful tourists with a strict “zero tolerance” policy.
Patrizia Asproni of Confcultura, a cultural heritage organization, said: “Florence is a city that does not make visitors respect it.
“These continued displays of rudeness and incivility occur because everyone feels entitled to do whatever they want with impunity.
“We need to apply the ‘Singapore model’: strict controls, very high fines, zero tolerance.”
The statue the woman was photographed holding is a copy of Giambologna’s original bronze Bacchus, which is kept at the Bargello Museum and was made in the 1560s.
In 2006, the original was replaced by the replica that today sits on top of an ancient marble fountain “del Centauro”.
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 is to blame for me, knows the difference.”
The footage sparked an uproar among Italians, who called for the tourists to be arrested over their “disgusting” photo shoot.
Marco Passeri, a former Florence councilor, asked: “Are we sure we need these types of tourists in Florence?”
Anti-tourism measures sweep critical spots
A WAVE of anti-tourism measures is being implemented across Europe to curb mass tourism in popular holiday spots.
Overcrowding has become a major problem in many sun destinations, with authorities trying to find a solution to keep tourists and locals happy.
Authorities have attempted to reduce the impact of tourists by implementing additional taxes on tourists or banning new hotels.
Earlier this year, Venice became the first city in the world to charge tourists an entry fee, after it began charging day-trippers 5 euros (£4.30) if they visit the historic Italian center.
It was followed by an area in Barcelona that resorted to removing a heavily used bus route from Apple and Google Maps to stop crowds of tourists from using the bus.
Meanwhile, San Sebastián, in northern Spain, limited the maximum number of people on guided tours to 25 to avoid congestion, noise, inconvenience and overcrowding.
The city has already banned the construction of new hotels.
The Spanish government has allowed restaurants to charge customers more for sitting in the shade in Andalusia.
Benidorm has introduced time restrictions, as swimming in the sea between midnight and 7am can cost a staggering £1,000.
The Canary Islands are also considering adopting measures to regulate the number of visitors – and charging tourists a daily fee.
Greece has already applied a tourist tax during the high season (March to October) and visitors are expected to pay between €1 (£0.86) and €4 (£3.45) per night, depending on the accommodation booked. .
Authorities in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, want to introduce a traveler tax to remind people to be courteous during their travels.
One person online wrote: “This is the result of years of trying to turn Florence into Disney World.”
Another added: “The degradation of this city is becoming more abnormal every day.”
A third person said: “With Florentine tourism, they are making all the residents flee, so that these animals can enter.”
Another person wrote: “Ew, Florence is becoming a circus.”
A fifth person continued, saying: “An absolute disgrace. Where are the police?”
Another user added: “How disgusting… This vandalistic tourism linked only to money destroys the beauty of cities and our artistic heritage.”
More than 10 million visitors visit the Italian city, known for its collection of Renaissance art, every year.
Last year, a similar incident sparked outrage when a British tourist carved his and his girlfriend’s names on Rome’s Colosseum.
Ivan Dimitrov begged forgiveness as he faced five years in an Italian prison for defacing the 2,000-year-old monument.
Italian residents echoed the complaints of Spaniards who have been protesting mass tourism for months.
The anti-tourism movement continues to spread across sunny Spain as fanatics shout “Tourists go home” and blame “drunk” Brits for ruining their hometowns.
At the latest demonstration, frightened tourists had to cower as activists squirted water at them and shouted “You are not welcome.”
Tourists are being unfairly targeted as locals are furious about the cost of living and the housing crisis which has reportedly caused housing costs to rise by 68% in the last decade.
Frustrated residents say they are being forced out of their neighborhoods, with more properties being converted into AirBnBs and hotels.
Anti-tourism protesters also plan to bring the Balearic Islands to a standstill during the peak season for British tourists.
Campaigners are hoping thousands of people will join the biggest demonstration yet in the Spanish tourist hotspot on Sunday 21 July – just as many UK schools close for the summer and families head out into the sun.
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