It is a shocking declaration against overtourism in Italy which arouses the indignation of political leaders. Mass tourism has transformed Florence into a “prostitute,” the director of one of the city’s major museums said Monday.
“Once a city prostitutes itself, it is difficult for it to become virgin again,” Cecilie Hollberg, director of the Accademia Gallery which houses Michelangelo’s statue of David, told reporters on the sidelines of the an event.
For Cecilie Hollberg, “it’s already too late”
“Florence is very beautiful and I would like it to return to its citizens and not be crushed by tourism,” added the German historian, deploring the streets colonized by souvenir shops. But “it is already too late”, she added, according to the daily La Repubblicawarning that if we didn’t curb the numbers, she saw “no more hope.”
The Academy Gallery later released a statement in which Cecilie Hollberg apologized “for using inappropriate words” about a “city I love.” “What I wanted to say is that Florence must be the witness, for all of Italy, of an increasingly sustainable tourism and not of mass tourism,” she said.
“Serious and offensive” remarks
But the Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, judged that his remarks were “serious and offensive” for Florence and the whole of Italy. He threatened to take action, saying he would “evaluate all appropriate measures” under current law.
Florence Deputy Mayor Alessia Bettini also opposed Cecilie Hollberg, saying that if the city were a prostitute, “would Florentines be the children of a prostitute and tourists the clients of a prostitute?” “. Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, senator from Florence, for his part estimated that she “should apologize or resign”.
Venice facing the same problem
Other officials in Italy have expressed concern about the impact of overtourism, particularly in cities like Florence – where the historic center is crowded for much of the year – and Venice. After UNESCO warned it of the risk of losing its precious world heritage status, Venice announced last year its intention to test a ticketing system to try to control the number of visitors, from April.