Terracotta lovers still in tender embrace after 2,500 years

The terracotta Sarcophagus Of The Spouses is displayed (Domenico Stinellis/AP)

A pair of terracotta lovers caught in a tender embrace for 2,500 years are getting some Valentine’s Day TLC from Italian cultural officials.

One of the most famous lovers’ statues in the art world, the reclining spouses fashioned out of terracotta are being offered high-tech protection from the threat of earthquakes and lesser tremors from passing traffic outside, officials said Monday as they unveiled the 18-month project.