http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3975607.stm
Quote:
'Lewd rubbing' shuts Paris statue
Officials were concerned about damage to the effigy's groin area
Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris has fenced off a famous tomb to prevent lewd acts being performed on a statue.
The effigy of 19th Century journalist known as Victor Noir has long been popular with women visitors.
This is partly due to his reputation as a romantic figure, and partly because of the effigy's design.
Officials concerned about damage to the icon's groin area have erected a fence around the grave, and a sign prohibiting indecent rubbing.
Noir - whose real name was Yvan Salman - was killed by Pierre Bonaparte, a great-nephew of the Emperor Napoleon, after bearing him a challenge to a duel.
According to the story, he was due to get married the day after he was killed.
The statue shows Noir in a frock coat and trousers lying flat on his back, with a distinct enlargement in the groin.
The effigy has been held as an aid to love or fertility.
It is said that a woman who kisses the lips of the prostrate statue and slips a flower into the upturned top hat will find a husband by the end of the year.
The new sign warns: "Any damage caused by graffiti or indecent rubbing will be prosecuted."
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