The Christmas tree in the middle of Rome's main square is rapidly losing its needles days before Christmas, leading some viewers to call the tree "mangy."
The 70-foot-high tree, which was lit up Dec. 8, started shedding needles badly as soon as it was hoisted in place in the middle of Piazza Venezia, Reuters reported.
Romans have dubbed the tree The Mangy One. They're also needling Rome's mayor about the tree, which costs 48,000 euros ($57,000) to transport from South Tyrol, an Italian Alpine region.
The city said Tuesday it is investigating why the tree is ailing.
Despite the tree's 600 silver-colored decorative balls, the half-bare branches lend the square a forlorn rather than festive look.
Critics note that across town, the Vatican's Christmas tree, from Poland, looks healthy.
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