ROME. Two thousand years of history, and someone thought the missing piece was a pair of stone gonads. The restoration of the ‘lucky testicles’ on a Roman mosaic in Pompeii has split scholars, tourists, and the Twitterati.
Is this a bold reclaiming of ancient fertility rites, or a crass gimmick for Instagram? Sources inside the Archaeological Park confirm the decision was taken to boost visitor numbers. Polls show 58% of Italians think it’s a joke.
The arts minister is keeping his head down. This is a culture war, and the battlefield is a phallus.
