In a historic decision handed down on Monday, a Vatican court found two environmental activists responsible for the destruction of an antique statue at the Vatican Museums. The court also ordered them to pay over 28,000 euros ($30,000) in damages. The Last Generation environmental group, which uses disruptive actions to draw attention to the climate catastrophe, includes the guilty activists.
Guido Viero and Ester Goffi, two activists, were also given a nine-month term with probation and will each have to pay a fine of 1,620 euros. The third activist participating in the incident, Laura Zorzini, received a lower 120 euro punishment.
Vatican Court Convicts Environmental Activists for Damaging Antique Statue
According to the story in Associated Press News, the convictions were related to an event that happened on August 18 in which Viero and Goffi attached their hands to the base of the priceless Laocoon statue, a work of ancient sculpture that is said to have been created in the first century B.C. Zorzini was in charge of photographing the protest, and they carried a sign that read, "Last Generation: No gas and no carbon."
This civil disobedience is just one of many similar demonstrations that Last Generation and related organizations have organized around Europe. These demonstrations, which frequently target museums and other cultural institutions and have even resulted in protracted traffic jams, are intended to bring attention to what is thought to be government passivity in the face of worsening climate change.
Priceless Vatican Statue Suffers Irreversible Damage
Given the priceless nature of the monument and the lasting harm it had sustained, attorney Floriana Gigli underlined that it was difficult to determine the true cost of the damage. According to the shared article in ABC News, she wanted an evaluation from the court and mentioned that the restoration work alone cost 3,148 euros. In response, the court established that 28,148 euros in reparation was due to the Vatican City State. No immediate details on a potential appeal were given.
Even though the damage to the statue foundation was less serious than feared, Guy Devreux, the director of the Vatican Museums' marble repair laboratory, testified during the final hearing that it was nonetheless irreversible. He stressed the marble base's significance by referring to it as an "integral part of the work."
The Laocoon statue, which is said to have been carved in Rhodes between 40 and 30 B.C., was the object of The Last Generation's attack. The decision was made in light of the artwork's significant backstory. According to mythology and information on the website of the Vatican Museums, Laocoon cautioned his fellow Trojans against taking the wooden horse that the Greeks left behind after the Trojan War. The group compared the present climate problem to a modern-day warning that political leaders are ignoring.
According to The Dialog, Ester Goffi, a conservationist and activist with two degrees, claimed she had engaged experts in restoration to protect the priceless statue. Guy Devreux, the director of the Vatican Museums' marble repair laboratory, disagreed, claiming that the activists' use of corrosive adhesive to attach their hands to the sculpture caused irreparable exterior damage to the sculpture's base. He continued, "This damage has since been covered up."
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