In Vergato obscurantists smear Ontani's statue with manure. But the community reacts

A lot happened in Vergato, in the Bolognese Apennines, after the unveiling of the statue Luigi Ontani created for his hometown and installed in the square in front of the train station. Entitled RenVergatellAppenninMontovolO and made of bronze and marble, the fountain, an allegory with a tall faun (the Reno River) in the center holding a putto (the Vergatello stream) on its shoulders and with a triton (the Apennines) at its feet, was actually unveiled in early April, but in the past few days it has been the subject of heavy controversy, which flared up after Leghist Senator Pillon called the statue a “rubbish” to be hidden with “a concrete pour” last Sunday: the parliamentarian, founder of Family Day, known for his bill that would like to introduce compulsory civil mediation in cases involving minor children (but also for particularly picturesque outings, such as when last year he announced a parliamentary question because he believed that in an elementary school in the Brescia area a teacher was teaching witchcraft), evidently inspired many other attacks, because after his came comments from several members of the extremist Catholic world, starting with Popolo della Famiglia member Mirko De Carli, who branded the sculpture as “obscene,” saying that it “offends children and should be removed,” and lashing out at the use of public funds for its creation (out of the total costs, 150 thousand euros for the statue and 90 thousand for the installation, a third was guaranteed by the institutions: 50 thousand from the City of Vergato and 30 thousand from the Emilia Romagna Region).

The attacks by fundamentalists who considered Ontani’s work Satanist must have been taken seriously, since during the week unknown obscurantists, at night, covered the statue not with cement but with manure. Then, after the statue was daubed (on the night between Wednesday and Thursday), a self-styled exorcist also arrived in the Emilian village, kicked out in a rude manner by residents, who gathered around Ontani’s sculpture in a show of support for the artist. Expressing the citizens’ sentiment was Mayor Massimo Gnudi, who said, “We are counting on the investigators to be able to find the authors of this cowardly and cowardly act, also using video surveillance technologies. We had feared the risk that those who sow hatred then reap violence, unfortunately we have had confirmation. To these people we answer that they have not only offended an artist. They have offended an entire community. But Vergato will not be intimidated.” The procession of support, which moved Thursday, called for “hands off our artistic heritage,” the first citizen explained, and the invitation to participate was aimed at “everyone who cares about freedom of expression. Whatever political or religious orientation or personal artistic taste, we invite everyone to a civil response. We are not just defending art, we are defending democracy.”

The mayor of Bologna, Virginio Merola, also spoke on the episode, saying, “In 2019 I don’t think such things can happen. The surreal attacks in recent days on the artwork inaugurated in Vergato in recent weeks have, unfortunately predictably, led to tonight’s act.” Merola also expressed his sympathy with Mayor Gnudi and the people of Vergato. Of the same opinion is the president of the region, Stefano Bonaccini: “Art is not censored, nor is the free expression of thought through culture and all artistic forms stopped. First, those who tonight daubed Luigi Ontani’s fountain in Vergato should know this. Already in the past few days we had to listen to words of condemnation from those who see in the sculpture heresies and who knows what dangers, as if people did not have their own capacity for judgment and opinion, and now someone has taken action. A shameful violence, to be strongly rejected, just as the community of Vergato, to which I am close, is preparing to do.”

Ontani, for his part, explained how his art is linked to mythology, and that it is devoid of political intent. The artist also stressed that he has the utmost respect for religion and that he does not understand why there is controversy. Controversies that, however, have had a dry and definitive response from the citizens of Vergato.

Pictured is Ontani’s sculpture.

In Vergato obscurantists smear Ontani's statue with manure. But the community reacts

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