Overview
- A four-inch fragment from the left tusk of the Elephant and Obelisk in Piazza della Minerva was found on the ground over the weekend.
- Police confirmed the detached tip is not original to the 17th-century sculpture and was added during a 1977 restoration.
- Investigators are examining CCTV to establish whether the break was deliberate or the result of weather-related wear.
- Culture minister Alessandro Giuli condemned the damage as unacceptable and the ministry will support restoration via the Capitoline Superintendency.
- The recovered fragment has been moved to storage and repairs are slated to begin early next week, according to Italian media reports.