Naples, insult at Royal Palace: four women take selfie on Bourbon throne

Controversy in Naples over an incident that occurred at the Royal Palace last May 10, as part of a gala evening organized during the Wine&TheCity event: four women in fact thought it best to take a few selfies of themselves on the throne of Ferdinand II and Francis II of Bourbon (risking damage to the work, which was moreover freshly restored, and the carpets in the room) and to post it on social networks. To gain access to the throne, the four women had to cross protective barriers: it is still unclear how they were able to evade surveillance. Ironically, the evening, which also had high costs (75 euros entrance fee), was intended to raise funds to be used for a social benefit initiative.

The complaint came from regional councilor Francesco Emilio Borrelli, of the Greens, and radio host Gianni Simioli. “It is one thing to open monuments and museums to raise funds useful for preserving them and ensuring low ticket costs, quite another to put those structures and what they contain at risk,” said Simioli, who added: “that throne, the one on which King Ferdinand II and Francis II, the last Bourbon rulers of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, sat, made in the 1840s and surrounded by an 18th-century canopy of red velvet, underwent a two-year restoration and only in April 2017 did it returned to the Throne Room,” Borrelli and Simioli continued, stressing that “going to sit on that throne, among other things, is behavior that is not only forbidden but also in very bad taste that shows once again how certain people have no respect for Naples and its monumental heritage.” The councilor then concluded, “we ask those who should have guaranteed the control of the throne room to understand how it was possible for those women to pass through the protected areas,” Borrelli and Simioli added, reiterating that “opening museum spaces, including the royal palaces, to private events to increase revenue is all very well, but we must always and in any case guarantee the safety of historical and artistic assets especially from certain people who have no respect for the city.”

The retort of Donatella Bernabò Silorata, among the organizers of Wine&TheCity, was not long in coming and was very harsh against the act of infinite stupidity of the four women: "this behavior is not only deplorable but is a criminal offense severely punished by Italian Law and to be condemned without any doubt. As the organizer of Wine&Thecity I also want to point out that: - Palazzo Reale was granted to the Wine&Thecity Cultural Association given the long experience we have in managing events in places of historical and artistic interest. We have already worked other times in synergy with the Superintendence as well as in many public and private museums in the city in over ten years of experience.
- For the use of the Ambulacrum and for the extraordinary opening of the Historical Apartment Museum we paid 8,934 euros including overtime for the custodians in charge of supervision and complied with all the required dictates.
- The evening was attended by 282 people including the Mayor of Naples. The participants were not invited guests, but people paying an entrance fee, the proceeds of which were partly donated to a social project: the Ronin Club of Karen Torre.
- The evening was marked by a precise cultural program with a site-specific video art installation, the reading of passages of literature on drunkenness by two renowned actresses, a ’musical carpet’ respectful of the places and agreed with the superintendence, a gastronomic part by a starred chef and a professional caterer.

Therefore, I can only condemn without any extenuating circumstances the pernicious behavior of the ladies that brings discredit on the organization of Wine&Thecity that has always been attentive to enhancing our heritage. It is not up to us and we do not care to identify the identity of the four women and their possible titles of crime. The nine thousand euros that Wine&Thecity paid to the Superintendent’s Office and the employees of the Royal Palace for supervision during the evening of the event only allows us to take note of the insulting behavior of the ladies who were the protagonists of the irresponsible behavior and the stupid photos that only create harm to the city of Naples. To the Superintendent and the Management of the Royal Palace therefore the choice, the decision to denounce or not the pathetic gesture. We at Winte &Thecity are left with the confidence of cultured and genteel Naples and the closeness and friendship of many cultural and tourism workers."

Naples, insult at Royal Palace: four women take selfie on Bourbon throne

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