Bari, appeal against plan for colossal statue of St. Nicholas: "it will make us look ridiculous"

There is a part of the city of Bari that does not want to see in front of the entrance to the port the colossal statue of St. Nicholas that some citizens who are part of the association “A Statue for St. Nicholas” would like instead to have erected, in the style of the Statue of Liberty, in front of the Varco della Vittoria, one of the entrances to the Fiera del Levante. In the association’s intentions, it will be a 70-meter-high statue, visible from 20 kilometers away.

Promoting the appeal to stop the colossus is the Murattiano association with Uaar Bari, which have started a petition on change.org addressed directly to Mayor Antonio Decaro and Councillor for Cultures Ines Pierucci: “Unfortunately, it is gaining momentum,” the text reads, “the proposal to build in Bari THE COLOSSE of SAN NICOLA, patron saint of the city. It would be a giant statue over 50 meters high, to which 20 meters of basement must be added. A mammoth eyesore, worthy of other eras and other mentalities.”

“It is not a matter of thwarting devotion,” explain the appeal’s drafters: “the faithful already have the Basilica, with the statue of the Saint in the square and three days of festivities in May. Instead, this colossal construction is imposed on everyone and is a colossal waste of money, which in these times is a slap in the face of other priorities. A colossal TRASH that will make us look ridiculous in the eyes of the world: the Mega St. Nicholas will certainly not be the Statue of Liberty and will not serve at all to attract foreign tourists. Is it possible that our beautiful, dynamic, modern city, which has always been distinguished by good taste, from the Middle Ages to the years of modernity, from the Murattian era to the Art Nouveau style, and which even in the gloomy 1930s was able to leave traces of artistic interest, should expire in ridicule in such a crude way? Has the strong environmental, landscape impact been evaluated? Not to mention the strongly confessional imprint that would result to this city.”

The conclusion, therefore, is but one: “We ask you to disregard the requests coming from the ’A Statue for St. Nicholas’ association, rejecting this pharaonic as well as useless and harmful project.” For now, the petition has gathered nearly 400 signatures.

Bari, appeal against plan for colossal statue of St. Nicholas: "it will make us look ridiculous"

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