Climate activists spray paint on Florence's Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo Vecchio, the fortress-like medieval town hall that dominates Florence's Piazza della Signoria and today houses both the city government and a museum tracing the city's history, became the target of a climate protest over the weekend. Activists sprayed the building's façade with paint in a bid to draw attention to the climate emergency.

The incident took place on March 18, 2023, according to a report by the German magazine Monopol. Available accounts do not specify exactly which group carried out the action, but the method — coating a historic monument in an easily washable colored substance — echoes a wave of similar protests staged across Italy and elsewhere in Europe by collectives such as Ultima Generazione, which have repeatedly targeted heavily visited heritage sites to generate publicity.

Palazzo Vecchio, begun in the late 13th century and traditionally attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio, is among Florence's most recognizable landmarks. Its crenellated tower and fortified architecture draw millions of visitors each year, many of whom also come to see the Renaissance-era artworks housed inside.

Such actions form part of a broader civil disobedience strategy adopted by several European climate movements since 2022, deliberately targeting iconic cultural sites to maximize media coverage while claiming to minimize physical damage through the use of paints or substances designed to wash off. Florence's municipal authorities have not yet commented on any potential legal consequences or on the cost of cleaning the façade.

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Written by the ADM desk based on Monopol. Read the original article for the full story.