Lasers are being used to remove graffiti from historic buildings in Italy without damaging their fragile surfaces. Generations of visitors to cities such as Florence are among those to have left their mark. But this unwanted legacy is being erased thanks to lasers wielded by a team of volunteers nicknamed Angels of Beauty.

For visitors to Italian cities, the sense of being in an open-air museum is part of the draw, but this unencumbered access to architectural treasures often comes at their peril, with many facades being defaced by graffiti. Tuscan company El.En. Group has designed a special laser that can remove graffiti without damaging the surfaces being cleaned.