Erection of phallic sculpture in Naples sparks heated debate

Gaetano Pesce’s new public sculpture, unveiled recently in the centre of Naples, gives new meaning to the term “erected”. The 12m-high work, entitled Tu si’ na cosa grande (you’re a big thing, in Neapolitan dialect) went viral on social media due to its phallic appearance. Pesce died earlier this year, but his posthumous piece, inspired by the 17th-century commedia dell’arte character Pulcinella, is making heads spin. City councillors from the right-wing Fratelli d’Italia party were enraged, according to the Wanted in Rome website, calling the piece an “abomination”. The mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, admitted to the Corriere della Sera newspaper that “he initially thought what everyone else thought, a very Neapolitan thought”. (Let’s not go there.) The priapic piece is due to remain on display in the Piazza del Municipio until 19 December.