A careless tourist has sparked fury in Italy after he damaged a priceless 18th century painting while trying to take a selfie.
The unnamed culprit had been enjoying a visit to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence when his day out took a turn for the worse.
The man decided to try and capture a picture of himself mimicking the pose of Ferdinando de’ Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany, in a portrait by Anton Domenico Gabbiani.
But the visitor’s bright idea soon became an embarrassing blunder when he lost his balance.
The man stumbled backward, falling against the portrait and leaving a hole at the level of the prince’s right boot.
Museum staff were quick to identify the man and reported him to the police for causing the damage.
The painting was removed for repair, with experts concluding that the damage was relatively minor.
The incident occurred on Saturday in the ground-floor rooms hosting the Florence and Europe: Arts of the 18th Century at the Uffizi exhibition, the first under the gallery’s new director, Simone Verde.
A trade union representing museum workers said the tourist had tripped on a low platform intended to keep visitors at an appropriate distance from the paintings.
It had previously raised concerns to the museum authorities after another visitor had tripped but without causing any damage.
‘Visitors are looking at the paintings, not at the ground. Those platforms are unsuitable and too dark,’ said Silvia Barlacchi, a staff representative.
Verde said: ‘The problem of visitors coming to museums to make memes or take selfies for social media is rampant: we will set very precise limits, preventing behaviour that is not compatible with the sense of our institutions and respect for cultural heritage. The tourist, who was immediately identified, will be prosecuted.’
The incident isn’t the only embarrassing accident to be caused by visitors behaving irresponsibly in Italian museums recently.
Earlier this month, a tourist was caught on CCTV sitting on a crystal-studded ‘Van Gogh’ chair exhibit in an Italian art gallery – before it buckled under him.
The chair, which is named after the famous Dutch painter, is housed in the Maffei Palace, Verona, and is covered with hundreds of Swarovski crystals.
It was designed by Italian artist Nicola Bolla and is described by local media as being ‘extremely fragile and delicate’.
However, it appears that while admiring the art, a tourist spotted their opportunity for a photo with no security around – without regard for the chair’s condition.
In the shocking footage, a man and woman can be seen posing with the eye-catching chair in the otherwise empty room.
As the man takes the woman’s photo, she leans in front of the the chair in order to create the illusion in the photograph that she is sitting on it.
But the man took this one step further and can be seen hovering above the exhibit, before placing himself down on it.
The chair immediately bends back into the wall and is left in a crooked state as the pair scurry out of the room.
In the aftermath of the incident, the museum’s social media accounts released a statement describing the ‘nightmare’ situation.
They said: ‘Every museum’s nightmare has become reality, even in Palazzo Maffei.
‘Waiting for the surveillance officers to come out, some visitors took an “in effect” photo.
‘The result? An irresponsible gesture caused serious damage to Nicola Bolla’s “Van Gogh” chair, a very delicate work, covered entirely with hundreds of Swarovski crystals.’
The museum was in crisis for days as it was unsure whether they could repair it, given the severity of the damage.
But thanks to ‘restorers who did a fantastic job’ and Italian law enforcement who assisted in their efforts, the museum has said ‘the piece is shining once again’.
They added: ‘We are sharing this episode not only for the sake of reporting, but to start a real campaign to raise awareness about the value of art and the respect it deserves.
‘A heartfelt thank you goes to the police, our security department and the restaurateurs, whose valuable work allowed the recovery of the work.
‘And a special thank you to all of you who walk through the museum halls every day with care, attention and wonder.
‘Because art is not just for seeing. It is to be loved. It is to be protected.’
This incident is just one in a long line of tourists behaving badly while visiting the historic and beautiful destinations of Italy.
Whether it’s defacing and desecrating ancient relics, or causing a public nuisance, many have even faced fines for their antics and have faced the wrath of the Italian authorities.
