Early Saturday morning, a man entered Rome's Piazza Navona before the crowds of tourists arrived. Rather than enjoying the presence of the three famous fountains in the relative quiet of the square, the man jumped into the southern fountain and began to attack one of the statues.
Security footage shows a man, armed with a piece of rock, entering the fountain and repeatedly hitting one of the marble statues. The attack lasted for under a minute but the damage was done. Two large chunks of marble where knocked off and left behind in the water.
Luckily, the statues in the fountain are 19th century copies and can most likely be repaired. The original figures crafted for the Moor Fountain by 16th-century artist Giacomo della Porta are on display in museums for safe-keeping.
The attacks on Rome's monuments did not end in Piazza Navona. Just hours later, a man approached the Trevi Fountain and hurled what appeared to be a Roman cobblestone at the Baroque marble figures in the famous landmark. He missed and escaped again.
On Monday, police apprehended a 52-year-old Roman man who admitted to both attacks. He was arrested after officers recognized the shoes he was wearing from security footage taken during both fountain assaults.
