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By taking a selfie, a tourist damages a sculpture by Pauline Bonaparte

2020-08-04T13:28:18.541Z


At the Antonio-Canova Museum in Veneto, an Austrian sat on a statue of Napoleon's sister. He broke two toes before running away without warning, but then reportedly reported himself.


A painful tourist. Friday, at the museum dedicated to the sculptor Antonio Canova (1757-1822) located in Possagno in Veneto, a sculpture by Pauline Bonaparte was found degraded. And for good reason, the sister of Napoleon I had just lost two toes.

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“Yesterday, an Austrian tourist sat on Pauline Bonaparte's sculpture, causing two toes to break , the museum said in a Facebook post. He also specifies that the man hastened to leave the premises without reporting to the staff. In a comment below the post, the museum clarified that the nationality of the perpetrator was known through an internet reservation.

“A few minutes later, our surveillance officers noticed the damage and sounded the alarm. We immediately declared an emergency situation , the message continues, specifying that the museum was working in consort with the authorities to find the culprit but also to secure the work for restoration.

“We repeat that our heritage must be protected. Responsible behavior must be adopted inside the museum by respecting the works and goods preserved. It is not only a civic duty, but also a mark of respect for what testifies to our history and our culture which it is necessary to transmit with pride to the future generations ” , concludes the message.

"I did not realize the damage"

The eminent Italian art critic and politician Vittorio Sgarbi, also president of the Antonio-Canova Foundation, did not fail to react. "I ask for clarity and rigor from the police and the judiciary to identify, thanks to security instruments, the unconscious vandal, without leaving him unpunished and free to return home," he commented.

I behaved irresponsibly, but I was unaware of the consequences. I continued the visit normally as did my stay in Italy (I did not “run away”).

Austrian tourist.

On Tuesday, he announced that he had received a letter from the famous tourist. “I would like to speak out against myself after reading what happened in the Austrian newspapers. (...) I behaved irresponsibly, but I was not aware of the consequences. I continued the visit normally just like my stay in Italy (I did not “run away”) ” , the man indicated by email.

“I was with a group on my fiftieth birthday on a four-day Prosecco road trip, until Monday evening. During the visit I sat on the statue without realizing the damage that I obviously caused ” , continued the tourist before apologizing. For his part Vittorio Sgarbi "appreciated the civic sense of this citizen" and took "note of his words and his embarrassment" .

Source: lefigaro

All life articles on 2020-08-04

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