A restored floor mosaic known as the Rampant Bull in Milan has drawn ridicule after the work appeared to remove a key anatomical feature: the testicles. The 19th-century artwork in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II arcade required repairs because repeated tourist rituals had worn a small crater into the pink tiles marking that area. According to local tradition, placing the right heel on the bull and spinning three times is said to bring good fortune or ensure another visit to the city. Reports indicate George and Amal Clooney took part in the custom shortly before the restoration. The updated mosaic, symbolizing Turin as Italy’s former capital, reopened to the public on Monday. Observers have since struggled to locate the original detail. After city councillor Marco Granelli posted a photo praising the project on social media, commenters flooded the thread with jokes and complaints. Some noted something appeared absent, while others asked directly about the testicles. Several suggested the bull now resembled a castrated ox, and a few accused officials of censorship or wasteful spending on the reported €30,000 project. Additional criticism highlighted uneven tile colors. Built between 1865 and 1877 near the Duomo, the Galleria is among the world’s oldest shopping arcades. Granelli described it to AFP as living heritage that wears quickly from heavy use. Similar wear has affected other Italian sites, including a bronze statue of Juliet in Verona restored twice after tourists touched it for luck in love.
