Bell tower of Saint Clare scarred for the umpteenth time, after the latest cleaning activities dating back to last year. Yesterday morning the bitter surprise: a giant logo made of red and black spray paint; three numbers inside, 2, 7 and 4; a couple of emoticons and some other signs on the sides. Nothing to do with a work of art, nothing to do with a protest sign: pure and simple vandalism, which was also achieved with a pre-ordained blitz.
It was about an operation conducted with clarity. Whoever attacked the fourteenth-century bell tower of Santa Chiara did not act on impulse, as often happens to criminal writers who deface cities and monuments. Near the bell tower there is one control camera connected with the police operations room, and that was the first objective, to prevent them from being there video surveillance recordings to accuse the authors. The first move was to blind the camera by covering it with the same red spray then used to smear the ancient structure. Once the certainty of impunity was obtained, the thug (or thugs) went into action freely letting off steam on the monument.
The first to notice the scar was Pino De Stasio, municipal councilor who manages the “7 bello” bar located in front of the bell tower. De Stasio took photos and recorded a video of what had happened. At first glance he turned to the Municipality and the Superintendence, then he also went to report it to the police, hoping that other cameras in the area might have identified the hooligans: «This is an offense to the entire city, it is a shameful, cowardly, unforgivable act. I hope that some electronic eyes in the area have filmed this damned scoundrel, given that he himself took steps to disable the nearby camera.”
De Stasio has always tried to oppose the hooliganism and violence that surround the decumani.
To finally try to obtain answers to his constant complaints, yesterday afternoon Pino de Stasio also wrote a heartfelt letter to the Minister of Culture: «Dear Minister Sangiuliano, as councilor of the second municipality of Naples I would like to point out to you, in your capacity institutional, but also in that of a Neapolitan citizen, the very serious havoc that was perpetrated against the historic fourteenth-century tower of the Basilica of Santa Chiara in Naples. Financo the control camera was defaced, this is to hide from electronic eyes the culprits of this very serious act which affects the entire city community and the ancient memory of this extraordinary city. I am confident that you, through your peripheral offices of close competence, can intervene as quickly as possible to remove the dozens of stains on the precious marble bell tower, which degrade our historical heritage.”
The restoration
To remove the spray paint from the ancient marble of the bell tower of Santa Chiara it will be a long and delicate operation, especially due to the colors used, red and black, which are among those that have the greatest grip and penetrate the deepest.
The use of a sandblaster is unthinkable, it will be necessary to use specific solvents that do not damage the underlying marble. The costs are variable, but not sensational, even four thousand euros could be enough, but even the most precise interventions ruin the marble, due to restoration and cleaning, it will reach the point where it will become too porous and will be impossible to recover.
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