British pupils on trip to Florence ‘wreck 16th-century monument’
BRITISH pupils who damaged a 16th century monument during a Florence school trip were investigated by Italian police.
Pupils from Whitchurch High School in Cardiff – whose alumni include sports stars Gareth Bale and Sam Warburton – are in trouble after the historic monument was allegedly wrecked.
The students are said to have torn a marble ornament from the tabernacle of Canto alla Paglia which smashed to pieces on the floor. Locals have now called for the students to be banned from entering Italy for life, and demanded the school pay damages for destroying the priceless ornament.
Eyewitnesses claim students were seen flying an LED kite which became stuck behind the ornament, leading to a boy pupil climbing up and hanging from the tabernacle to free it.
However the ornament the boy held on to, which featured the Madonna and child, broke free and smashed on to the ground on Piazza San Giovanni.
The Italian municipal police confirmed that a 15-year-old boy had been questioned for damaging public property before being released at 2.45am on Friday. Another pupil was treated for minor injuries after being struck by falling debris.
The incident happened during the Welsh school’s five-day trip to Italy for its design and technology students.
A spokesman for the school said: “Whitchurch High School is extremely disappointed that the behaviour of a very small number of its students has not lived up to the high standards expected. An investigation is under way and we are speaking to the staff and students that went on the trip.”
The trip involved a visit to the Pagani hypercar factory, the Ferrari museum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
According to The Sun, a source at the municipal police said the ornament would be checked over before the case was brought before a judge, where it would be decided whether the school would have to pay damages.