https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/20/toilet-brush-anger-rome-city-lacklustre-christmas-tree"“Rome’s tree is dry, dead on arrival. It’s a metaphor for the state of the capital,” one local wrote on Twitter, while another wondered: “What time does the funeral start?”
According to Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, a preliminary enquiry found that the tree was not properly covered during transport from the Dolomites in northern Italy, where it had been grown.Some have even likened 'Spelacchio' to a toilet brush"