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An American tourist was arrested for breaking two 2,000-year-old Roman sculptures!
Some people undoubtedly don't like to hear no, which is acceptable behavior when someone is five, but certainly not sixty-five. An American tourist's tantrum cost the Chiaramonti Museum, one of the most important collections of Roman portrait busts. The man in question demanded to see Pope Francis in the Vatican, and when he was denied permission, he caused a scandal in the museum. When he was rebuffed, he threw a Roman bust to the floor and then, as he fled, he knocked over another statue with his cane.
"The busts were attached to the shelves with a nail, but if you pull them down with force, they will come off," museum spokesman Matteo Alessandrini said. "Two busts were damaged, one lost part of the nose and an ear, and the head of the other was torn off the plinth," Alessandrini said.
According to the Italian news agency Adnkronos, the repairs of these sculptures require around 15,000 euros and between 300 and 350 hours of detailed restoration. Chiaramonti is known for having around 1,000 sculptures, many of which are busts.
"Such events show a huge disregard for works of art and disrupt the experience of other art enthusiasts at the venue. He brought down two busts, one after the other. When the first one hit the ground, a loud bang echoed through the long gallery. The fear was greater than the actual damage", said museum spokesman Alessandrini.
