Wow. The graffiti seems extraordinarily bad this year. It is literally everywhere and all over everything. I'm amazed where people will put it too. In side the Colosseum, on the School of Athens, on every building, on every train, on anything. Somehow the major sites avoid getting "tagged" but it still really sucks.
I know every major city has its issues with vandalism, but Italy is overrun with it. I don't like complaining, but maybe it's time someone in Italy did something about it. I have no idea what to propose, I don't have a solution, so I guess I'm simply venting.
Enough is enough.
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Anthony, this is nothign new 'this year'. It has been a growing problem over the last decade, and I HAVE made proposals to do something about it, but they always fall on deaf ears.
There are many issues that contribute to it. The first is the major source: Eastern European immigration. In the last decade, Italy has been literally overrun with immigrants thanks to Europe's open arms policies. It has brought a thriving criminal element, most of which has no sense of cultural appreciation, so to spray paint the side of a train is no different than spraying an ancient monument.
The Italians are all saddened by this, but they are powerless against it. While there are no laws to fight the problem, there ARE laws to PREVENT them from fighting it. Add to that the seemingly endless stream of political parties here, nobody can agree on a solution.
In our little village, I have tried to mobilize people, but all I hit are walls. "We can't because of this law or that law", "Nobody will get involved", etc.
It is trajic, and has implications that we cannot even begin to comprehend. For example, how many tourists choose not to go back to Rome because of the filth? How much does that cost the city? They don't really get it.
Anyhow, if you are curious, I'll give you more details when you are here in Soriano.
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