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Broken Tusk From Bernini’s ‘Elefantino’ in Rome Under Police Investigation

Investigators are determining whether the break was deliberate or the result of weather‑worsened wear, with restoration support pledged.

Overview

  • Local police recovered the fallen fragment at Piazza della Minerva and opened an inquiry.
  • Officers from the I Gruppo Trevi are reviewing surveillance footage to establish when the damage occurred and who is responsible.
  • The Ministry of Culture, through the Soprintendenza Speciale di Roma, will assist the Sovrintendenza Capitolina with restoration.
  • The alert was raised Monday evening around 21:00 after the municipal superintendency was notified of the damage.
  • The same tusk was damaged in November 2016 and was subsequently restored and reattached.