A 28-year-old tourist reportedly from Denmark climbed Florence's 16th-century Fountain of Neptune on April 18 during a bachelorette outing and allegedly caused damage estimated at about €5,000. Police intervened and say the woman climbed over a railing and onto the horses' legs, reportedly intending to touch the statue as part of a pre-wedding challenge. Authorities have reported her to the Judicial Authority for defacing a protected cultural asset; she is presumed innocent until judged. Officials say such stunts are rising amid social media challenges and note the monument has been damaged in prior incidents.
Bachelorette Tourist Allegedly Causes €5,000 Damage After Climbing 16th-Century Neptune Fountain in Florence
The Fountain of Neptune on Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy.Credit: Getty
A tourist visiting Florence for a bachelorette celebration has been accused of causing several thousand euros in damage after climbing onto the 16th-century Fountain of Neptune in the Piazza della Signoria.
Incident Details
City officials say the incident occurred on Saturday, April 18, when a 28-year-old woman, reportedly from Denmark, scaled a railing and climbed into the fountain. Police officers nearby saw her climb and ordered her to get out. According to the municipality's statement, the woman told officers she climbed onto the sculpted horses' legs to avoid falling into the water and said she intended to touch the statue as part of a pre-wedding challenge.
Her intention was reportedly to touch the statue as part of a pre-wedding challenge.
Damage and Legal Steps
Officials say the woman caused "small but significant damage" to the legs of the sculpted horses and to a decorative frieze she grabbed to steady herself. Repair costs are estimated at about €5,000 (roughly $5,845). Local authorities have reported the case to the Judicial Authority, accusing the tourist of defacing a protected artistic and architectural asset. The city emphasized that she is presumed innocent until a final judgment is issued.
"Her intention was to 'touch' the private parts of the statue for a sort of pre-wedding challenge," the city said (Stock image)Credit: Getty
Background and Context
The Fountain of Neptune was commissioned in 1559 by Cosimo I de' Medici to mark the marriage of his son Francesco to Joanna of Austria. The bronze and marble monument has long been a central feature of Piazza della Signoria and is protected as a cultural asset.
Officials said stunts around monuments have become more frequent in recent years, a trend they partly attribute to social media "challenge" culture that encourages risky or attention-seeking behavior at landmarks. The Neptune statue has been targeted before: in 2023 a German tourist was accused of climbing the statue while friends photographed him, and in 2005 someone broke Neptune's hand after climbing on the sculpture—an event that prompted the installation of security cameras.
Local police continue to investigate the latest incident while officials assess the full extent of the damage and pursue judicial steps.
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