Unintended Consequences

If you look closely, Florence has scars.  Scars of terrible events in the past.

One terrible scar is the result of a May 27, 1993 car bombing.  The car was parked near the Uffizi art museum with the goal of destroying some of Italy's invaluable artwork.  It was a deliberate attack on Italy's cultural heritage.  

The bomb was so powerful that the goal was achieved.  Some masterpieces in the museum were destroyed or badly damaged.  In addition, a tower house next to where the car was parked was also destroyed.  The building crumbled, killing five people, including two young children.

The people behind the bombing were believed to be a crime organization based in Corleone Sicily.  One leader had been jailed recently under tougher laws targeted at the mafia.  The goal of the Florence bombing and other bombings directed at Italy's cultural heritage was to weaken the Italian government's resolve to continue prosecuting criminal organizations and holding prisoners in isolation.  Earlier assassinations of prosecutors had not achieved that goal.  It was hoped the bombings would. 

The bombings did not have the desired effect.  Attacking Italy's cultural heritage and killing innocent people shocked many Italians.  The attacks steeled their and their government's resolve to continue prosecuting criminal organizations.

The scars of the Florence bombing are still evident.  The building that was destroyed was rebuilt.  However, you can easily see in the photograph below the new and old construction.

An olive tree is planted next to the building as a sign of resilience and hope.  Plaques in different languages memorialize the terrible event and the hope for peace.

As a result of the attack, art conservation and restoration in Florence and the rest of Italy became a higher priority.  People in Italy and around the world mobilized like they had following the devastating 1966 floods in Florence and Venice.  More funding was available for protecting and restoring art than before.  We have seen the concrete results of those efforts.  In the Uffizi, many of the masterpieces have been restored and are well protected against damage or theft.  Also, the museum building has been upgraded multiple times to better protect the artwork housed there.  In fact, another renovation is currently underway. 

The people behind the bombing did not intend the consequences that followed.  Italy redoubled its efforts to prosecute criminal organizations and has been largely successful.  Italy also enhanced the protection and restoration of its cultural heritage.  Sometimes, unintended consequences are welcome consequences.