Tourists who shattered priceless Hercules statue while taking selfie could face criminal charges

Italy is facing a problem of tourists who are behaving badly at some of the country’s historic landmarks

Two tourists shattered part of a priceless 300-year-old Hercules statue after climbing on it to take a selfie.

The pair could now face criminal charges after they damaged the marble statue of Loggia dei Militi palace in Cremona, Italy, on Friday night.

The crown collapsed under the weight of the men, whose nationalities have not been revealed, causing it to fall to the floor.

Tourists have broken the priceless 'Statue of The Two Hercules' whilst trying to take a selfie at Cremona's Loggia dei Militi palace
Damaged: The pair face criminal charges after climbing on the statue

According to Milan’s Corriere della Sera newspaper, it then shattered into pieces.

The statue, built at the beginning of 1700, depicts two figures of Hercules – the city’s mythical founder – holding the emblem of Cremona.

Experts are being brought in to assess the damage and determine whether the statue, which was orginally displayed on top of the city’s gates, can be repaired.

Tourists have broken the priceless 'Statue of The Two Hercules' whilst trying to take a selfie at Cremona's Loggia dei Militi palace
Shattered: The 300-year-old crown fell on the floor and smashed

Italy has a problem in recent months with tourists who have been behaving badly at some of the country’s historic landmarks.

In April, a Japanese woman was charged by police after she wrote her name and date on the dome of the Florence Cathedral.

She used an eyeliner pencil on the marble, but it did not cause any permanent damage.

A month before that incident two women from California were arrested for carving their initials into the Colosseum in Rome.

After carving the eight-inch high letters, the women posed for a selfie.

In 2013, an American tourist upset locals when he accidentally snapped the finger off a 600-year-old statue of the Virgin Mary at the Museum of the Works of the Cathedral in Florence.

The 55-year-old man, from New Fairfield, Connecticut, was attempting to compare his finger to one on the statue when the digit broke off.

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