An American Tourist Threw A Fit And Smashed Two Statues In The Vatican Because He Couldn’t See The Pope
Twitter/CanvaThe tourist had previously been cited with public indecency in America.
In October, an American tourist visiting the Museo Chiaramonti in Rome demanded that he be allowed to see the pope. When his request was denied, he threw a tantrum and ripped two ancient Roman busts from the wall.
The busts were affixed to shelves with a nail, but the roughly 65-year-old man pulled on them with enough force that they came loose. Security guards immediately put a stop to it, and the Vatican said, thankfully, that the damage to the busts was “not significant.”
When the tourist was handed over to Italian authorities, they also discovered that he evidently had a knack for trouble — he was once cited for public indecency in the United States.
Understandably, the incident caused quite a shock among museum staff, who were equally frustrated that since COVID restrictions have loosened, damage has been dealt to a number of ancient artifacts and landmarks, including the Roman Colosseum and the Spanish Steps.
The Museo Chiaramonti prides itself for displaying “one of the finest collections of Roman portraits” worldwide, but the increasing number of vandalism incidents this year has also led to discussion about implementing stricter guidelines to prevent further harm from irresponsible tourists.
