Man Arrested for Stealing Water from Reggia di Caserta

Caserta: An Italian farmer was arrested Thursday for stealing water from the iconic Reggia di Caserta UNESCO site and former Bourbon royal palace north of Naples. The man, 58, has been charged with damaging a Bourbon basin of the historic Carolino Aqueduct, also a UNESCO heritage site, thus creating an illegal connection that allowed him to illicitly siphon off water and transport it 145 meters onto his farm. This act deprived the Royal Palace, which frequently suffers from water supply problems to its many basins and fountains, especially during this summer when it is almost dry.

According to Ansa News Agency, the 18th-century jewel, one of the top tourist attractions in southern Italy and Italy’s version of Versailles, boasts several splendid fountains on its monumental garden-strewn grounds. The farmer has now been placed under house arrest.