Florence, a “prostitute”.
And “once a city becomes a prostitute, it is difficult for it to become a virgin again.”
The statements of Cecilie Hollberg, director of the Accademia Gallery - which houses Michelangelo's statue of David in Florence - had a resounding echo in the country.
“Florence is very beautiful and I would like it to return to its citizens and not be crushed by tourism,” the German historian told the press on Monday, deploring the streets colonized by souvenir shops.
But “it is already too late”, she added, according to the daily La Repubblica, warning that if we did not put a brake on the number, 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 Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said his comments were "serious and offensive" to Florence and the whole of Italy, and threatened action, saying he would "evaluate all appropriate measures » within the framework of current legislation.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's nationalist government has been accused of seeking to promote more Italians to top cultural positions, as well as more people sympathetic to its right-wing views.
Last year, ministers approved a change that requires opera conductors to leave their posts when they reach the age of 70, a move widely seen as a way to keep some foreigners out of office.
Read alsoThe government unveils a plan to reduce overtourism in France
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?"
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Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, a senator from Florence, said Hollberg “should apologize or resign.”
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 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, starting from month of April.