Please don't touch the statues! An American tourist has caused outrage in Florence, Italy after they accidentally broke the finger off a 600-year-old statue of the Virgin Mary at a museum.
The tourist, whose name has not been released, claims that they were trying to measure the singer of the marble sculpture at the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Museum of the Works of the Cathedral) when the statue broke, the Daily Mail reports.
A security guard noticed the tourist touching the statue and tried to stop him, but he reached him when it was too late. The security guard has not been identified.
The American tourist gave an apology, but they could be in more trouble for damaging the work that was made before the Italian Renaissance. They may be fined for damaging the sculpture which was created in the 14th or 15th century by Florentine Giovanni d'Ambrogio.
Timothy Verdon, an American who is the head of the Diocesan Office of Sacred Art and Church Cultural Heritage and the Cathedral Foundation Museum in Florence, was embarrassed by his fellow American's behavior.
Verdon says the finger of the statue wasn't actually part of the original statue as it was recast. It's not clear how much the repair will cost or if it can even be repaired.
"In a globalized world like ours, the fundamental rules for visiting a museum have been forgotten, that is, 'Do not touch the works,'" Verdon said.
It is not clear which part of the United States the tourist was from.
In many cases, the most priceless work are kept hidden away from the public in Florence. The casts are on display in museums. All of the original pieces that are on display are kept under a close watch.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
