"The tip of a tusk on Gian Lorenzo Bernini's famed Elephant and Obelisk monument in Rome has broken off again, prompting a police investigation just days before a major exhibition dedicated to the Baroque master opened in the city. Italian culture officials condemned the damage to the 17th-century landmark in Piazza della Minerva as "unacceptable," particularly as Rome prepares to celebrate Bernini with the exhibition "Bernini and the Barberini" at Palazzo Barberini."
"The broken marble fragment, believed to be part of a 1977 restoration and not original to the statue, has been recovered and will undergo repairs, though authorities are still determining whether the incident was vandalism or structural wear. Alessandro Giuli, Italy's minister of culture, noted in a statement that the ministry will help with the restoration of the work via the Capitoline Superintendency, a municipal body that oversees Rome's cultural heritage."
A tusk tip from Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Elephant and Obelisk in Piazza della Minerva broke off, prompting a police investigation. The four-inch marble fragment was found near the base of the sculpture and recovered. Police concluded the piece likely came from a 1977 restoration and was not original to the statue. Authorities plan to transport the fragment to storage and begin restoration early next week with support from the ministry of culture and the Capitoline Superintendency. Investigators are reviewing security footage to determine whether the damage resulted from vandalism or structural wear as Rome prepares a major Bernini exhibition.
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