Mass tourism has turned the Italian city of Florence into a “prostitute,” the director of Galleria dell’Accademia has said, sparking anger and calls for her to step down.
Although Cecilie Hollberg has apologized, Italian politicians have slammed her comments this week as being offensive to Florentines.
“Once a city becomes a prostitute, it is difficult for it to become a virgin again,” Hollberg, a German art historian who has been head of the museum since 2015, told reporters Monday on the sidelines of a press conference laying out the museum’s successes.