Climate defenders from the group Last Generation pasted photos of a flooded Tuscan town on Tuesday, February 13, on the protective glass of Botticelli’s masterpiece The Birth of Venus, a famous 15th-century painting depicting Venus emerging of waters, exhibited at the Uffizi Museum in Florence.
The two men were taken to a police station near the museum, the group said in a statement. The Uffizi in Florence, one of the most visited museums on the Peninsula, is located in the historic center of this jewel of the Italian Renaissance.
“The government continues to pretend that the fields did not burn in January, that water will not be a problem this summer, that the homes destroyed by floods are accidents and not the result of human choices », Denounced one of the two demonstrators, Giordano, quoted in the press release. “And instead of confronting these real problems, he makes absurd laws” punishing climate defense actions, he added.
Actions across Europe
The Italian Parliament adopted a law in January increasing penalties against perpetrators of actions against monuments or cultural sites, in response to a series of actions by climate defenders. This law was adopted after a Florence judge ruled in December that two activists who in 2022 stuck their hands to the glass protecting another Botticelli painting, also on display at the Uffizi, had not committed a crime.
The Last Generation organization began carrying out non-violent actions in Italy in 2022 during the legislative elections, calling on politicians of all stripes to make climate a priority. According to the European Commission, Italy is on track to achieve emissions well above its 2030 targets.
These protests in Italy are part of actions across Europe to draw attention to the climate, for example throwing soup, mash or washable paint at works of art and sites cultural.