A tourist’s selfie went wrong when he accidentally broke off the toes of one of Italy’s oldest sculptures.
The tourist was leaning in for a selfie on the renowned “Paolina Borghese Bonaparte,” which is presumably more than 200 years old. And that’s exactly when the incident occurred.
According to reports, the tourist completely damaged the plaster model sculpture that dates back to the 19th century. It was originally created by the famous sculptor and artist Antonio Canova. As the tourist leaned in, three of the model’s toes snapped and fell off.
The 50-year-old tourist from Austria was innocently posing for a photograph when the unfortunate incident occurred on July 31st. Moreover, the plaster sculpture is an attractive feature at Italy’s Gypsotheca Antonio Canova museum, located in Possagno. Reports claim that the man’s name is yet to be released.
On the other hand, CCTV footage clearly showed how the man jumped ono the ancient 19th-century sculpture’s base so that he could obtain a photograph. And that’s the exact point in time when three toes snapped off during the process.
Reports from CNN claim that the police described the man as an integral part of a group of tourists from Austria.
Police went on to claim how the man silently broke away from his other group members because he wanted a selfie with the famous sculpture. And that’s when he ‘sprawled over the old statue.’
But that’s not all. Some sources report that investigators fear that there might be further damage to the statue’s base, that’s still yet to be discovered.
The culprits’ details were traced by local authorities through the museum’s new set of requirements, during the Coronavirus pandemic. Here, visitors must leave their contact information and personal details for tracking purposes.
Furthermore, press reports explain that when contacted, the man confessed to his crime, claiming it to be a ‘stupid move.’