Valentina di Giorgio
(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 05.10.2022).- Two Roman busts of one of the Vatican Museums’ Galleries were violently thrown to the ground by a visitor from the United States on Wednesday, October 5.
The incident happened in the Chiaramonti Gallery where, at the end of the morning, a man aged about 65, manifested his mental instability, talking to himself and asking to see the Pope. Moments later, he threw two busts to the ground in quick succession. The man was born in Egypt but has American nationality.
The offender was detained by the Police and handed over to the Italian Authorities as, given the Lateran Pacts between the Italian State and the Holy See, such incidents are referred to that Authority. Verified immediately was that the individual had mental problems and that in the past he had committed obscene acts.
The damaged sculptures were sent to the Vatican laboratories for restoration.
