When told he couldn’t see Pope Francis, an American tourist broke two ancient sculptures at the Vatican and was later arrested.
Pope Francis visited the Museo Chiaramonti Vatican museum on Wednesday, when a 50-something guy begged to see him, according to CNN via the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero. He got into a fit of passion and shattered one of the displayed ancient Roman busts when he was told he couldn’t see the Pope. He destroyed another sculpture while attempting to flee the scene and the security of the museum. The two pieces of art, which date back to over 2,000 years ago, have since been brought to a museum workshop to be examined for damage.
“The busts were affixed to shelves with a nail but if you pull them down with force they will come off,” said the director of the press office for Vatican Museums. “He pulled down one and then the other and the guards came immediately and stopped him and consigned him to the Vatican police who brought him in for questioning. Around 5:30 p.m. he was handed over to the Italian authorities.”
While the two busts have been damaged, the director added that they didn’t suffer too much damage. “One lost part of a nose and an ear, the head of the other came off the pedestal,” he said, noting that restoration work has begun and “they will soon be restored and back at the museum.”
Man topples two ancient Roman busts in the Vatican Museums 🤬https://t.co/4DJfjhA0dU pic.twitter.com/Ge0roZQWkp
— Gareth Harney (@OptimoPrincipi) October 5, 2022