A 60-year-old woman of Austrian origin was reported for defacing sacred property after throwing feces at frescoes and prayer benches inside the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome. The artworks were protected by plexiglass and remained undamaged.
On September 9, 2025, during a period of high visitor traffic linked to the Jubilee, a woman entered the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri at Piazza della Repubblica in Rome and threw feces at several frescoes and prayer benches near the altar.
The woman, reportedly of Austrian nationality and without a fixed residence, was quickly identified and stopped by police from the San Giovanni station. Thanks to plexiglass coverings, the frescoes-part of a historic site designed by Michelangelo-were not permanently damaged. Church staff promptly cleaned the affected area. The woman was formally reported for damaging sacred and religious property.