Poor Stamira, a road sign right in front of the statue reads, "A slap in the face to a Doric symbol."

Ancona, November 11, 2025 – Stamira She has been Ancona's heroine for centuries, one of the city's true symbols. Yet the statue depicting her, located in one of the city's main thoroughfares, doesn't seem to receive much attention. On the contrary. Just look at the photo. A street sign has been placed practically in front of the work, obscuring its view. For those who don't know, we are in the very square dedicated to her , bisected by the avenue also named after her. For twenty years, the sculpture has proudly displayed itself in an otherwise rather anonymous square.

Armeni's disappointment: "That sign greatly spoils the view of the sculpture."

But instead of being enhanced , it continues to suffer 'defacements,' to the chagrin of its creator, artist Guido Armeni: "That sign greatly detracts from the sculpture's visual impact ," Armeni emphasizes. "No one denies the importance of the sign marking the pedestrian crossing, but a compromise would be enough. For example, the sign could be placed further away, near the newspaper kiosk. Or a longer, thinner pole could be used and the sign placed higher up. In other cities, the signs are lit from above. Abroad, I've seen green warning lights placed on the ground, visible even during the day."

"Better solutions than this can be found."

In short, the sculptor is the first to point out that road signs should be placed in the best possible position: "The safety of pedestrians comes first, especially since accidents often occur in which people crossing the street are hit. But better solutions can be found. It's also a matter of decorum. Moreover , this year, the Stamira Prize was awarded for the first time to two women from Ancona ." It's not the first time Armeni has been forced to defend 'his' Stamira: "They put a tree too close to the sculpture. It's clear that the tree is growing, as are its flowers, which are yellow like mimosas. Some time ago, they had placed the garbage bins right next to the statue. Luckily, I managed to get them moved."

A group of environmentalists and the protest with the white cloth on their heads in Stamira

Then there's a curious episode, involving him. Two years ago, a group of environmentalists had placed a white cloth over Stamira's head like a hat, and tied a protest sign to his arm. The cloth soon disappeared, but the sign remained. Armeni then picked up a stool and removed it: "Just at that moment, the police came by and asked me what I was doing..." A scene straight out of a comedy movie. But the lack of respect for art is certainly not funny.

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From the cities Vandalism Degradation