Rome court charges woman for damage to Pantheon

A ROMANIAN woman is due to face a court in Rome on charges of smashing two 18th-century wooden candelabra housed in the Pantheon in the latest in a rash of attacks that have underlined the vulnerability of monuments in the Eternal City.

Cristina Conachi, 39, was arrested on Sunday afternoon after she allegedly smashed her fist into one of the 6ft tall ornaments, causing it to shatter into pieces on the pavement of the church, police said.

She then grabbed a second candelabra, which she was unable to smash, according to a police report, before being detained by janitors.

Ms Conachi refused to give an address and was quoted as saying only: “I don’t know why I did it.”

Initially thought to be a tourist, she was described by police as homeless and was charged with aggravated damage to a cultural asset.