Stop writing on monuments & climbing on statues for selfies! http://t.co/Eu4ZL4OL4l Tourists wreck Italian monument pic.twitter.com/dei8xYNX2k
— Italy Translated (@dianacorridori) May 5, 2015
Tourists will do pretty much anything to get just the right picture while on vacation. The desire to capture a timeless moment, though, also helped to damage a timeless piece of art.
According to the Daily Mail, two unnamed male travelers are facing charges after partially destroying a 315-year-old marble statue in the Italian town of Cremona. The priceless work, which is considered “the emblem of Cremona,” depicts two marble Hercules framing a coat of arms.
The two men (most likely drunk, most likely American) climbed on the centuries-old masterpiece as if it were a stripper pole. Shaking the timeless work, they knocked off a large marble crown that sat upon the coat of arms, shattering it into several pieces. Experts are currently assessing the damage to see what can be salvaged.
If the Amanda Knox trial has taught us anything, it’s that the Italian justice system is anything but swift. Looks like these two fellas earned themselves a way longer vacation than they were expecting.