Two sculptures were damaged inside the Vatican Museums in Rome.
A foreign tourist would have thrown two antique busts to the ground resting on two shelves inside the Chiaramonti gallery.
The incident took place this morning.
The tourist was stopped and taken to the police offices for questioning.
Investigations are still ongoing.
The man, who was agitated and said he wanted to speak with the Pope, after trying to escape was blocked by the Vatican gendarmerie.
The Vatican inspectorate intervened later, listening to the person arrested: it would be an American of Egyptian origin.