He wanted to create a “meme” and caused serious damage to an artwork on display at the Uffizi Museum in Florence. The protagonist of the incident was a tourist who, trying to imitate the pose of the “Portrait of Ferdinand de' Medici Grand Prince of Tuscany”, hit the painting's surface while moving backward to take a selfie. The work, created in 1712 by Anton Domenico Gabbiani, was removed from the room to allow restorers to work on it. According to initial assessments, the damage is fortunately reversible. Harsh comment from Uffizi Director Simone Verde: “The problem of visitors coming to museums to make memes or take selfies for social media is rampant: we will set very precise limits, preventing behavior that is not compatible with the sense of our institutions and respect for cultural heritage”. The tourist, who was immediately identified, was charged.
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