Arezzo: WWII mortar bomb discovered near church

A World War II-era mortar bomb was discovered on Sunday afternoon, October 11, in a flowerbed in front of the San Marco alla Sella church in Arezzo, Italy. The discovery occurred during a parish festival attended by numerous children, scouts, and families.

A young person playing in the green space near the church courtyard noticed the object. Reports indicate that the object was initially unrecognized and may have been handled by individuals before the nature of the device was understood. The parish priest alerted the Carabinieri, who identified the object as unexploded ordnance.

The area has been cordoned off with warning signs as authorities await bomb disposal experts, who are expected on-site Monday morning to assess the device and perform a safe removal or defusal. Local Carabinieri have launched an investigation to determine how the ordnance arrived at the site, including the possibility that it was placed there recently by an individual. Investigators may review surveillance footage from Via Romana to assist in the inquiry.