STORY: Two of the group climbed into the fountain to hug Enrico Botti’s work “Domina” and another pushed it with a stick before the 1.70-meter-tall statue fell to the ground, says Bruno Golferini, director of the city’s Villa Alceo. About Viggiù, he said.
Golferini said he had filed a complaint with the local police against all 17 German tourists who were in the group that rented the villa. They have left Italy since the incident on Monday, which was caught on the villa’s security cameras.
Golferini said the statue is about 150 years old and valued at around 200,000 euros ($218,000), adding that it would be difficult to repair due to additional damage to the tiles in the fountain.
