MILAN (AP) — The appearance of a palm-filled oasis opposite Milan's gothic-era Duomo Cathedral has spawned a vibrant public debate.

Twitter is awash with palm-inspired memes playfully mocking the project, while right-wing politicians were slammed after suggesting that to accompany the desert scene, the cathedral's spires would next be covered with minarets.

A well-known landscape architect criticized the oasis in the La Repubblica daily, dismissing the public landscaping project as a "neo-gothic folly" that veers "to the limits of kitsch."

The city-sponsored project that landscaped two flowerbeds at the far end of Piazza del Duomo is part of a public-private initiative to periodically update the city's green spaces.

Not everyone is a critic. The owner of a bar opposite the palms says sales are up more than 25 percent.