American tourist smashes two sculptures in the Vatican

Just when you thought the summer of tourists behaving badly was over, another person on vacation wrecks another priceless artifact.

This time it's the turn of an American tourist who smashed no fewer than two ancient Roman sculptures into pieces at the Vatican on Wednesday.

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The episode took place in the Museo Chiaramonti, part of the Vatican Museums, around lunchtime

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The space holds around 1,000 works of ancient statuary, and describes itself as "one of the finest collections of Roman portraits" in the world.

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Two of those portraits are now facing an uncertain future after the tourist knocked over one in anger, then toppled another as he fled the scene.

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The man had demanded to see the pope, according to newspaper Il Messaggero.

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The man had demanded to see the pope, according to newspaper Il Messaggero.

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When he was told he couldn't, he allegedly hurled one Roman bust to the floor.

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As he ran off, with staff in pursuit, he knocked down another.

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