Bernini Lion's Missing Jaw Was a Maintenance Issue, Not Vandalism
A viral story claiming Gian Lorenzo Bernini's lion at the Fontana dei Fiumi in Piazza Navona, Rome, had been vandalized was a fake news. The rumor originated from a December 31, 2020 blog post by Teodoro De Giorgio, an art historian at the University of Lecce, who reported a missing piece of the lion's jaw. Italian cultural outlets amplified the story without verification. However, the Sovrintendenza di Roma Capitale confirmed that on August 18, 2020, a iron pin detached during routine maintenance; technicians recovered all pieces and planned reattachment for January 13, 2021. The delay was due to the COVID-19 second wave, which shifted focus to urgent interventions. The only real damage to the fountain remains the videomapping projection by Acea and the Comune di Roma, which Artribune had previously criticized.
Key facts
- The missing jaw of Bernini's lion was a maintenance issue, not vandalism.
- The rumor started from a blog post by Teodoro De Giorgio on Huffington Post on December 31, 2020.
- Italian cultural outlets spread the story without fact-checking.
- The Sovrintendenza di Roma Capitale confirmed the iron pin detached on August 18, 2020.
- All pieces were recovered and the reattachment was scheduled for January 13, 2021.
- The delay was due to the COVID-19 second wave prioritizing urgent interventions.
- The videomapping on the fountain by Acea and Comune di Roma is the actual damage.
- Artribune was the only outlet that did not report the fake news and had previously criticized the videomapping.
Entities
Artists
- Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Institutions
- Huffington Post
- University of Lecce
- Sovrintendenza di Roma Capitale
- Biblioteca Hertziana
- Acea
- Comune di Roma
- Artribune
Locations
- Piazza Navona
- Rome
- Italy
- Lecce