Italy imposes tougher fines for monument, artwork vandalism

Rome, Jan 19 (IANS) Italy approved a law to introduce penalties up to 60,000 euros ($65,000) on those who damage artworks and historical monuments.

In a series of protests, activists in Italy have in recent years spilled paint into Rome's Trevi Fountain and Venice's Grand Canal; dumped soup on an iconic painting by Vincent Van Gogh; and glued their hands to a work by Botticelli, hoping to call authorities' attention to climate change and other environmental issues, reports Xinhua news agency.

Authorities said these acts had incurred high cleanup costs and caused disruptions.

The new law imposes fines of up to 40,000 euros for those who deface monuments, and the amount will increase to up to 60,000 euros if a cultural heritage item is destroyed.