A tourist has been caught on CCTV sitting on a crystal-studded ‘Van Gogh’ chair exhibit in an Italian art gallery – before it buckles under him.
The chair, which is named after the famous Dutch painter, is housed in the Maffei Palace, Verona, and is covered with hundreds of Swarovski crystals.
It was designed by Italian artist Nicola Bolla and is described by local media as being ‘extremely fragile and delicate’.
However, it appears that while admiring the art, a tourist spotted their opportunity for a photo with no security around – without regard for the chair’s condition.
In the shocking footage, a man and woman can be seen posing with the eye-catching chair in the otherwise empty room.
As the man takes the woman’s photo, she leans in front of the the chair in order to create the illusion in the photograph that she is sitting on it.
But the man took this one step further and can be seen hovering above the exhibit, before placing himself down on it.
The chair immediately bends back into the wall and is left in a crooked state as the pair scurry out of the room.
As the man takes the woman’s photo, she leans in front of the the chair in order to create the illusion in the photograph that she is sitting on it
But the man took this one step further, and can be seen hovering above the exhibit
He then places himself down on the chair which immediately buckles under him
The crystal-studded art is is left in a crooked state as the pair scurry out of the room
In the aftermath of the incident, the museum’s social media accounts released a statement describing the ‘nightmare’ situation.
They said: ‘Every museum’s nightmare has become reality, even in Palazzo Maffei.
‘Waiting for the surveillance officers to come out, some visitors took an “in effect” photo.
‘The result? An irresponsible gesture caused serious damage to Nicola Bolla’s “Van Gogh” chair, a very delicate work, covered entirely with hundreds of Swarovski crystals.’
The museum was in crisis for days as it was unsure whether they could repair it, given the severity of the damage.
Another angle of the incident shows the man with his back against the wall as the chair buckles underneath him
But thanks to ‘restorers who did a fantastic job’ and Italian law enforcement who assisted in their efforts, the museum has said ‘the piece is shining once again’.
They added: ‘We are sharing this episode not only for the sake of reporting, but to start a real campaign to raise awareness about the value of art and the respect it deserves.
‘A heartfelt thank you goes to the police, our security department and the restaurateurs, whose valuable work allowed the recovery of the work.
‘And a special thank you to all of you who walk through the museum halls every day with care, attention and wonder.
‘Because art is not just for seeing. It is to be loved. It is to be protected.’
This incident is just one in a long line of tourists behaving badly while visiting the historic and beautiful destinations of Italy.
Whether it’s defacing and desecrating ancient relics, or causing a public nuisance, many have even faced fines for their antics and have faced the wrath of the Italian authorities.
Here is a look at some of the other tourists who have riled up Italians on their homeland…
Speeding down Venice’s Grand Canal on electric hydrofoils
Perhaps one of the most dangerous instances of tourists disrespecting Italy’s treasured sites saw two Australians whizzing along Venice’s Grand Canal on £20,000 electric hydrofoils.
The two men were filmed making waves through the main thoroughfare of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in August last year, infuriating both tourists and locals alike.
One of the hooligans on the hydrofoils – a kind of foil board often fitted with electric-powered propellers – was seen on his phone as he chopped through the canal waters.
A pair of ‘overbearing imbeciles’ have sparked fury in Venice by speeding down the city’s famous Grand Canal on £20,000 electric hydrofoils
The duo zoomed past the city’s famous monuments lining the canal as shocked locals watched on
Even Venice’s mayor took aim at the pair of Australians, calling for them to be punished and offering a free dinner to anyone who could help identify them.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said: ‘Here are two overbearing imbeciles who make a mockery of the City.
‘I ask everyone to help us identify them to punish them even if our weapons are really blunt… the Mayors urgently need more powers in terms of public safety!
‘To whoever identifies them, I offer a dinner!’
It didn’t take long for the two to be tracked down. The mayor announced their boards had been confiscated and the men were reprimanded for endangering the safety of navigation along the canal.
Local reports claimed they were also fined €3,000 for their antics and were expelled from the city.
Surfing, paddle boarding and canoeing are all banned on the iconic Grand Canal, which instead offers its tourists much calmer gondola rides as well as tourists boats and water taxis.
Plunging from 30ft into Venice’s canals
One tourist also caught the fury of Venice’s mayor in March after he belly-flopped 30ft into the city’s iconic canals.
The tourist was dubbed a ‘cretin’ who should be ‘kicked up the backside’ after the video was filmed and put on social media.
In only his boxer shorts, the man plunged down from the ledge of a palazzo and smacked into the water below.
Locals screamed in Italian begging him not to jump into the canal, but the man ignored their concerns.
The man appeared to be undisturbed by the relatively brutal belly flop, calmly emerging from the water soon after.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, slammed the man’s behaviour: ‘We should give a certificate of stupidity and a good number of kicks up the backside to this individual.
‘We are trying to identify and charge him, along with his friend who took a video of the cretin for social media.
‘These people are risking their necks just for a few likes.
‘They have no regard for the danger they pose… imagine if a boat had passed beneath.’
Local media reported that the man was lucky not the be seriously injured as the canals had been drained in recent weeks.
Colosseum vandals
The now notorious Ivan Dimitrov of ‘Ivan + Hayley’ fame isn’t the only one to have been caught red-handed making a mark on Rome’s 2,000-year-old Colosseum.
In January 2017, the Colosseum was vandalised with black spray paint.
The name ‘Balto’ and the word ‘Morte’ (death) were sprayed onto the pillar overnight.
Francesco Prosperetti, special superintendent for the Colosseum, said: ‘We worry that this could become a game and people could start competing over it.’
A similar incident happened in 2014 when a Russian tourist was fined a staggering €20,000 (£1,700) for engraving a giant letter ‘K’ onto the historic wall.
The unnamed tourist, then aged 42, was caught by a guard as he used a sharp-edged stone to carve the 10-inch-tall letter.
The Russian man was given a fine and a suspended four-month prison sentence, reported news agency ANSA at the time.
The head of the administration of the Colosseum, Mariarosaria Barbera, said the man had ’caused significant damage’ and had ‘ruined the covering part of the amphitheatre’.
An Irish tourist even got himself arrested in 2020 for defacing the Colosseum with his initials after carving his initials into its walls.
The then-32-year-old man was caught by the Colosseum’s private security and immediately reported to police officers.
In January 2017, the Colosseum was vandalised with black spray paint
The man’s two initials, about 6 centimeters (2 inches) high, were said to have been carved with a metal point on a pillar of the first floor.
Archaeologist Federica Rinaldi, responsible for the ancient Roman amphitheater, said people who carve their initials into the monument want to ‘appropriate’ it.
He added: ‘The Colosseum, like any monument that represents the history of all of us, must be preserved and handed over to future generations.’
Skinny dipping in the Trevi Fountain
A couple of British tourists also had a similar idea, but this time to get their kit off and jump in Rome’s Trevi fountain.
One of the men removed his underwear and they both frolicked about in the water and posed for photos under the fountain in August 2018.
The man also pushed his genitals between his legs to pose naked for photos, while onlookers filmed, some finding the antics amusing and others instead shocked and bemused.
But others also found the desecration of a monument to those killed in war disrespectful. The fountain was originally built in honour of Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of a unified Italy.
Two British tourists stripped and posed for photos in a fountain next to one of Rome’s most famous monuments
One of the men can be seen removing his underwear as they frolicked in the water near Altare della Patria in the Italian capital
Police said the tourists’ behaviour was unacceptable and that it ‘seriously offended the national feeling and the memory of the fallen to whom the monument is dedicated.’
It is not known if police ever tracked the men down, but they were set to face fines of €400.
It also angered Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister, then-minster of the interior: ‘I would know how to ‘educate’ these idiots if they get caught, Italy is not their bathroom!’
The two tourist’s frolicking was considered so egregious by officials that it helped enforce a 24/7 guard around a number of monuments – including the iconic Trevi Fountain – until the end of the 2018 summer.
Vice Mayor Luca Bergamo told local media at the time: ‘I can confirm for our citizens that local police have already taken 24-hour control of numerous famous sites.’
He added: ‘This offended every one of us including our country and the dead who are honoured by the monument.
‘We were faced with behaviour that demonstrated stupidity and ignorance as well as a lack of respect for the history of Rome and Italy.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .