Woman caused €5,000 of damage to 16th-century landmark in Florence.A foreign tourist has been charged with defacing an artistic and architectural asset after climbing onto Florence's Neptune Fountain as part of a pre-wedding challenge, causing damage estimated at around €5,000.The incident took place in the central Piazza della Signoria last Saturday when the 28-year-old woman reportedly climbed the monument as a dare, with the aim of touching the statue's genitals. To access the landmark, the woman climbed over both the grating and the edge of the pool. To avoid entering the water, she climbed directly onto the legs of the horses supporting the shell of the sculptural composition. Municipal police responded to the scene  and removed the woman from the fountain immediately. The following morning, specialists from the Fabbrica di Palazzo Vecchio carried out an inspection of the monument. The inspection revealed minor but significant damage to both the legs of the horses on which the woman had walked and a frieze to which she had clung to avoid slipping. The Neptune Fountain, created by the sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati, was commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici in 1559 to celebrate the marriage of Francesco de' Medici I to Grand Duchess Joanna of Austria. One of the most prominent works of Mannerist sculpture in Italy, the majestic fountain stands at the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio, seat of city hall. The landmark has previously been the target of tourist-related damage, contributing to growing calls for stricter enforcement around Florence's historic monuments. Photo credit: marekusz / Shutterstock.com

A foreign tourist has been charged with defacing an artistic and architectural asset after climbing onto Florence's Neptune Fountain as part of a pre-wedding challenge, causing damage estimated at around €5,000. The incident took place in the central Piazza della Signoria last Saturday when the 28-year-old woman reportedly climbed the monument as a dare, with the aim of touching the statue's genitals. To access the landmark, the woman climbed over both the grating and the edge of the pool. To avoid entering the water, she climbed directly onto the legs of the horses supporting the shell of the sculptural composition. Municipal police responded to the scene  and removed the woman from the fountain immediately. The following morning, specialists from the Fabbrica di Palazzo Vecchio carried out an inspection of the monument. The inspection revealed minor but significant damage to both the legs of the horses on which the woman had walked and a frieze to which she had clung to avoid slipping. The Neptune Fountain, created by the sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati, was commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici in 1559 to celebrate the marriage of Francesco de' Medici I to Grand Duchess Joanna of Austria. One of the most prominent works of Mannerist sculpture in Italy, the majestic fountain stands at the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio, seat of city hall. The landmark has previously been , contributing to growing calls for stricter enforcement around Florence's historic monuments. Photo credit: marekusz / Shutterstock.com