Italian vandals poured paint over a museum buildingJun 02, 2009

Bookmark this article:

A group of unidentified delinquents poured paint over the building of American architect, Richard Meyer, in Rome. Here, the remains of the Altar of Peace (Ara Pacis) are kept, dating back to the 9th Century B.C.. The vandals threw balloons filled with red and green paint into the white walls of the museum, which, according to the police, should invoke associations with the flag of Italy. Next to the wall the evildoers left a ceramic toilet bowl and two packs of hygienic paper rolls. Gianni Alemanno, the mayor of Rome, called the debacle “hooliganism that cannot solve the problem of architectural monuments in the city”.

The decision to appoint Richard Meyer as the lead architect responsible for the construction of the building that would shelter the Altar of Peace from adverse weather conditions was taken by the city council in 1998. The construction process has ended in 2006 and was accompanied by much debate related to the fitness of this modern building in the ancient architectural setting of Rome. After the election of Gianni Alemanno as the new mayor of Rome the city authorities started negotiations with Meyer in order to change the external aspect of the building.

The Altar of Peace was build in honor of emperor Augustus’ return from Spain and Galicia in 13 B.C. During one of the floods the altar was temporarily lost. In 1568 individual fragments were found in different locations, including the Medici villa, Vatican, Uffizi gallery and Louvre. Reconstructed in 1938, during Benito Mussolini’s rule, the altar was covered with a protective “dome” which was later substituted with Meyer’s building.