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Naples mayor urged to tear down ‘phallic’ sculpture in city centre

Installation inspired by a 17th-century character in Neapolitan puppetry is ‘embarrassing’ and an ‘abomination’, say locals

The mayor of Naples has been urged to get rid of a 40ft-tall sculpture that was meant to evoke an iconic cultural figure but instead has been mocked as resembling a giant penis.
The sculpture, which was put up this week, is supposed to evoke Pulcinella, a crooked-nosed character from Neapolitan commedia dell’arte theatre of the 17th century, which inspired Mr Punch from Punch and Judy puppet show in Britain.
The artwork is based on a design created by Gaetano Pesce, an Italian sculptor and designer who died in New York in April at the age of 84. But to the tittering amusement of many Neapolitans, it appeared to more closely resemble a towering phallus.
Amplifying the sniggers was the fact that the sculpture is called “Tu si ’na cosa grande”, which in Neapolitan dialect means “You are a big thing”.
The ambiguous-looking artwork was placed in Piazza Municipio in the city’s historic centre and was due to be officially unveiled on Wednesday evening by Gaetano Manfredi, the centre-Left mayor.
Many locals said it was ridiculous and should be removed.
One woman directed a message on X, formerly Twitter, to the mayor, saying: “What do you reckon, should we take down the giant penis in Piazza Municipio? It is really an abomination.”
Another Neapolitan said the sculpture was “embarrassing” and looked like a tribute to Rocco Siffredi, Italy’s most famous male porn star.
Marco Nonno, a member of the conservative Brothers of Italy party, which is led by Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, said the mayor should “apologise” to the city for allowing the sculpture to be installed.
He said he was “incredulous” that the city council had permitted the artwork to be placed in “one of the most famous piazzas in the world”.
But the mayor defended the artwork. “I think that contemporary art and contemporary installations should spur debate,” Mr Manfredi said.
“So the fact that it is being discussed means that the work has achieved its goal.”
He said that Mr Pesce, the late sculptor who created the work, “was one of the great world artists and of Neapolitan origin”, adding: “This is the last work he designed, a work that has left a mark, that has the city talking and for us this is a positive thing.”

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