“Florence has become a prostitute,” says the German museum director
Florence is a tourist magnet
Source: Getty Images/Julian Elliott Photography
The German director of the famous Galleria dell’Accademia museum in Florence, Cecilie Hollberg, sends Italy into turmoil with a quote. Once a city has become a prostitute, it is difficult for it to become a virgin again. It’s already too late.
Mhe German director of the famous Galleria dell’Accademia museum, Cecilie Hollberg, caused a stir when she described Florence as a “prostitute”. “Once a city has become a prostitute, it is difficult for it to become a virgin again,” Hollberg told journalists on Monday, according to media reports, referring to mass tourism in the Italian city.
“Florence is very beautiful and I would like it to return to its residents and not be crushed by tourism,” said Hollberg, whose museum includes, among other things, the world-famous David sculpture by the Renaissance artist Michelangelo, according to the newspaper “La Republic”. But it is “already too late”: without an “absolute” brake on tourist numbers, she sees “no hope”.
In a statement from the Galleria dell’Accademia, the director, who was appointed to head the museum in 2015, later apologized for her choice of words. She used the “wrong words” about “a city I love.” She wanted to say that Florence must become a role model for responsible tourism.
However, Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano criticized the German historian’s comments as “serious and offensive” and announced that he would consider “appropriate” measures. The deputy mayor of Florence, Alessia Bettini, also sharply criticized Hollberg. If Florence is a prostitute, the question arises as to whether the city’s residents are “children of a prostitute” and tourists are “customers of a prostitute.”
Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi – once mayor of Florence – said the museum director must apologize or “resign”. At the same time, there is an awareness in Italy of the problems of a massive influx of tourists, which affects not only Florence but also other cities, especially Venice.