A declaration of love with a black spray left on the facade of the Royal Palace of Caserta it is the plastic demonstration of the prevailing incivility and stupidity. Yet it happened last night. It was around 2am when a state police patrol on normal patrol in Piazza Carlo di Borbone noticed the unusual writing on the south-west corner of the Palace, close to the nearby Flora gardens. “For better or for worse, always with you”, complete with the signature “Momo” accompanied by a heart with the initials “M+L” in the center and, a little further on the pillar next to it, the other writing “Ludo”. The agents immediately alerted the 24-hour control center in the Palace, connected to the video surveillance devices which, however, have a limited range of action only within the monument.
The investigations began immediately by the Flying Squad and images were collected not only from the cameras positioned in the square but also in the surrounding areas. From the data and information collected, as learned from the Police Headquarters, it would seem, however, that there is only one person responsible. The director of the Palace was also promptly informed during the night, Tiziana Maffei, the procedures for emergency intervention were put in place already in the morning. Thus, the writing was removed thanks to the cleaning work carried out by a specialized company even if the traces of the stupid graffiti are still evident.
The vandalism provoked, as was predictable, a series of harsh reactions, starting from the Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano who in condemning the gesture expressed the hope “that the police will be able to identify those responsible as soon as possible and that they will be sanctioned with absolute firmness”. Furthermore, the minister recalled that thanks to the law he wanted, “vandals will have to pay for the restoration work of the work out of their own pockets”. The same director Maffeitherefore, in thanking “the commissioner who immediately guaranteed the support of the police”, he invited the guilty parties to report themselves, “as an expression of awareness of the damage”, while he made an appeal to the Caserta community “to help us prevent and counter such phenomena, which damage the beauty of a place that continues to amaze the world and the entire community.”
Even the mayor Carlo Marino expressed his indignation: «Smearing the façade of the Palace – he said – represents a havoc, a wound for our city and for the whole of humanity, since we are faced with a UNESCO heritage asset, as well as one of the most beautiful people in the world. Fortunately, action has already been taken to remove these writings and clean up the facade. However, the gravity of an unspeakable gesture remains.”
And he added: «Unfortunately, there is no limit to stupidity and ignorance. I hope that the person responsible for this shameful act will be identified as soon as possible and he will have to pay for what he did.” In the evening, the statements from the Campania member of the League also arrived Gianpiero Zinzi.
«We learn that the Royal Palace of Caserta was defaced during the night, with paint on the walls of the facade. The Royal Palace is a symbol of Italian cultural heritage, a source of pride for our Campania. We have a duty to protect it and that is what we have done by approving a law that punishes those who commit acts of vandalism with more severe sanctions. What we ask is that it be applied immediately. Anyone who destroys, deteriorates and defaces cultural and landscape assets should pay. I hope – we read in the statement – that those responsible for this horror will be immediately identified by our police forces and sanctioned”.
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