American Tourist Accidentally Breaks Finger Off 600-Year-Old Statue In Florence Museum

An American tourist accidentally broke a finger off a 600-year-old statue at Florence’s Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.

The Virgin Mary marble statue, believed to have been sculpted by Giovanni d’Ambrogio, was on display in the Italian museum when a 55-year-old American tourist accidentally broke off the Virgin Mary’s pinky finger. The tourist, who reportedly works as an emergency surgeon in Connecticut, was allegedly comparing the statue’s hand to his own when the incident occurred.

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Museum director Timothy Verdun condemned the clumsy act, reminding the public that the number one rule to follow in a museum is ‘look, but don’t touch.’

“In a globalized world like ours, the fundamental rules for visiting a museum have been forgotten, that is, ‘Do not touch the works’,” Verdun told reporters.

It is worth noting, however, that, according to NBC News, the finger in question was not actually part of the original statue, but was made of plaster to replace the original marble piece that had been missing for some time.
The tourist is extremely apologetic, according to reports, and could face a large fine.

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong