The famous Kelpies by the M9 have been drawn into a dispute over statues in an Italian city. In May of this year, the architect Andrea Villani donated six statues to the city of Terni in Umbria, a move which was warmly welcomed by mayor Stefano Bandecchi. The sculptures are all themed around love, depicting a couple with a dog, another with a child, an elderly man stroking a cat, a lonely man, a mother sitting on the ground with a little girl, and a man standing with a child in his arms.
Mr Bandecchi wished to place the statues in all of the city's main squares, but the local municipality judged they were not of sufficient artistic merit. Read More: Celebrations mark 10th anniversary of The Kelpies Winner of 2024 Kelpies Prize revealed at unique award ceremony Falkirk attraction wins Tripadvisor Traveller's choice award After a war of words, a solution was found whereby the statues would be placed in local parks and one, the mother with her child, in Piazza Tacito. However, when the first was installed on the barren ground in Ciaurro park, with no supporting base, the mayor reacted furiously on Instagram.
Mr Bandecchi wrote: "The first statue which was supposed to embellish Terni has been put on the ground. "I understand more than ever why the city has gone to s*** and I'll have to fix it myself, with a less educated approach. "Enough of being f***** by idiots.
" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Stefano Bandecchi (@bandecchistefano) That sparked a Kelpie-themed res.