Sgarbi condannato per diffamazione nei confronti di Virginia Raggi

Vittorio Sgarbi, the notable art critic and politician, has been found guilty of serious defamation against former mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi. The Rome court has ordered him to pay a fine of 2,000 euros and a provisional sum of 20,000 euros to Raggi for damages.

The conviction stems from statements made by Sgarbi, who currently occupies the role of Undersecretary for Cultural Heritage, during an episode of the television program Matrix on 21st February 2018. This was prior to the general elections. Sgarbi had criticized Raggi for her planned demolition of a Liberty-style building in Caprera Square, located in the Trieste district.

Sgarbi had voiced his concerns quite dramatically, claiming, “The announced destruction of Liberty villas in Rome, denounced by myself and Italia Nostra first, confirms the most disturbing of perspectives: today’s Rome is like Ciancimino’s Palermo.” He accused Raggi of being complicit in this “criminal action” due to her lack of attention towards the city’s preservation. He further drew parallels between the Five Star Movement in Rome to the Christian Democracy in Palermo during the ’70s. At the previous hearing, the prosecutor had recommended a harsher sentence for Sgarbi, suggesting four months of imprisonment.

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