Bernini

Italy will push for a law imposing stiff, five-figure fines on vandals who damage monuments or other cultural sites, to help pay for the repairs and clean-up.

At a Cabinet meeting on April 11, the government approved proposed legislation championed by the culture minister that would impose fines starting at 10,000 euros (nearly $11,000) and as high as 60,000 euros (about $65,000).

A rare drawing by the Italian 17th-century sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini sold for 1.9 million euros ($2.3 million) in France on March 20, the highest price ever paid for a drawing by the artist, the auction house said.