Naples, vandalism on the church in Piazza Bellini: 49-year-old from Milan reported

Naples – He was caught with a spray can in his hand while he was defaced the external walls of the church of San Giovanni Battista delle Monache, in Piazza Bellini, one of the most popular places in the Neapolitan nightlife.

The man, a 49-year-old originally from Milan, was immediately stopped and reported by the Carabinieri of the Naples Radiomobile Unit.

The incident occurred in the early afternoon, in full view of passers-by and tourists. According to the military personnel who intervened, the man was writing with spray paint on a wall of the religious building, an architectural heritage of great value and currently being restored after years of decay.

Upon the patrol's arrival, the man did not resist and was identified and reported to the judicial authorities on charges of defacement and defacement of cultural heritage, a crime aggravated by the historical nature of the damaged property.

The church of San Giovanni Battista delle Monache, located in the heart of the historic center of Naples, is a seventeenth-century building, at the center of numerous enhancement initiatives. The act of vandalism immediately sparked indignation among residents and representatives of the cultural world, who have long been calling for greater protection for the city's heritage, often exposed to uncivilized acts.

Local authorities reiterate the need for greater territorial control, especially in highly frequented central areas, where the boundary between cultural liveliness and urban decay unfortunately remains too thin.