Italian aristocrat's 18th birthday party ends in chaos
When the 18-year-old scion of the noble Corsini family planned a party in his fabulous villa in the Tuscan town of Porto Ercole, he couldn’t imagine it would end up with a brawl, two youths hospitalised and the intervention of riot police.
The private party was organised by Henrik Corsini last Saturday in the garden of the historic residence where his family – based in the United States – spends part of the summer.
Marquis Alessandro Corsini explained that his son had invited “only” 150 friends to celebrate his 18th birthday. But rumours of an open bar attracted hundreds of uninvited youths, mostly coming from Rome and the nearby Lazio region.
The Marquis said that the villa’s outdoor space - which usually hosts charity events and includes one of Italy’s oldest botanical gardens - can contain up to 800 people.
He ensured that the party was planned in full respect of the social distancing measures imposed by the Italian government to contain the coronavirus outbreak. But it didn’t go quite as planned.
“The uninvited guests invaded the street in front of the house, trying to force the entrance gates,” Alessandro Corsini said in an interview with Italian daily Il Messaggero. “Some of them managed to enter the garden, damaging pots and lights.”
Meanwhile, the situation outside the villa degenerated into a brawl and local police in riot gear were forced to intervene. The party ended early on Sunday with seven youths reported to authorities and two teenagers hospitalised with minor wounds.
“My son is really sorry. What was supposed to be his 18th birthday party turned into a nightmare,” Alessandro Corsini said.
He added that him and his son have not been fined but that police have opened an investigation into the incident.
Marquis Corsini - who is also the honorary president of the local Red Cross - apologised to Porto Ercole’s residents, saying the episode did not reflect the long history of his family.
He blamed the absence of places in town able to attract local youths, who are often forced to party outdoors, on the waterfront or the beaches, raising security issues.
