Graffiti artists climbed and tagged the imposing stone entrance to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan’s prestigious shopping arcade. A video posted online shows three figures in black tagging a green inscription at the top of the building, under the eyes of tourists below.
Local police said the group was spotted around 10:30 p.m. Monday night but fled before officers could make an arrest. An investigation is underway to try to identify these individuals and determine how they were able to access the top of the facade, which is normally off limits. The Galleria, which dates from the 19th century, houses shops, restaurants and hotels that could have been used to access the top of the arch.
The tags seem likely to be the work of graffiti artists. They would, a priori, have no apparent connection with the political groups and ecological protesters who have targeted Italian museums and architectural treasures in recent months.
The stunt angered Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who said the perpetrators should be given ‘a lesson they will never forget’ with jail time, fines or community service general.