Possagno, here's what the tourist who damaged the Canova statue was doing

The tourist who, at the "Antonio Canova" Gypsotheca Museum in Possagno, last week damaged the plaster model of Pauline Borghese as Venus Victrix, Antonio Canova’s 1804 masterpiece, by breaking the statue’s toes. The tourist, a 50-year-old Austrian, caused the damage to the work while trying to take a selfie.

His identity was traced by the Carabinieri, who used the visitation log required by medical-health regulations on containing Covid-19 contagion: the man was the husband of the woman who had booked on behalf of the group. What’s more, what nailed the perpetrator was the museum’s internal cameras that captured the entire sequence: the man had laid down beside the sculpture to portray himself in the same pose as the statue. In the act of getting up, the tourist slipped, breaking Pauline’s toes. After that, the 50-year-old man had walked away pretending that nothing had happened, but visibly upset about the incident, according to investigators.

The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The man, who was tracked down, took full responsibility for the damage and said he was willing to pay for the damages. His file has now been forwarded by the Pieve del Grappa Carabinieri to the Treviso Prosecutor’s Office, which will make the necessary evaluations.

Possagno, here's what the tourist who damaged the Canova statue was doing

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