D'oh! American tourist accidentally snaps finger off


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 An American tourist has sparked outrage overseas not for giving the finger but for accidentally taking one from a 600-year-old Italian statue.

An unidentified tourist at Florence's Museo dell'Opera del Duomo snapped off the pinky finger of a statue dating to the late 14th or early 15th century by medieval sculptor Giovanni D'Ambrogio, museum officials confirmed.

 The tourist said to have been a 55-year-old man from Missouri, was reportedly trying to measure it when he violated museum decorum by putting his own hands on the marble art work titled, Annunciazione.

A security guard witnessed the tourist's destruction seconds too late.

 The museum's head, American Timothy Verdon, criticized the tourist's foolish behavior, vehemently scolding: "In a globalized world like ours, the fundamental rules for visiting a museum have been forgotten, that is, 'Do not touch the works.'"

The tourist apologized and was described as "very disappointed."

 Verdon remarked that the finger was not the original but had been made out of plaster before being added at a later date.

"We are sure that the damage was caused by the American tourist because the work has recently returned from the exhibition at the Uffizi Golden Flashes, where it was exposed, and then on its return was carefully controlled," said Verdon.

It was not immediately known how much the repairs will cost or how long they will take.

"It is a fairly simple restoration will be done by the restorers of the Opera del Duomo," the museum told the Daily News in an email.

The tourist, who was in the company of three other people according to the museum, was reported to the city police of Florence.

source

 

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Other than reattaching & blending it into the real portions, which can take an art restorationist long hours of delicate and often expensive work.

What a dolt.

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That's not "Americanism" it's just some dumbass not adhering to the rules, plus the finger was plastered on later so he didn't really damage 14th century works of art :p

 

Still a dumbass though.

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The headline don't really need 'American' in it. It was a tourist who could have been from anywhere, who had no common sense. Im sure someone in the museum would have been able to answer his question or help him find the answer without screwing with the pieces. American people are for the most part are great, no worse or better than any other country - its just their government people have problems with.

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The headline don't really need 'American' in it. It was a tourist who could have been from anywhere, who had no common sense. Im sure someone in the museum would have been able to answer his question or help him find the answer without screwing with the pieces. American people are for the most part are great, no worse or better than any other country - its just their government people have problems with.

I hear ya, but it doesn't change the fact that it was an American tourist. The title is accurate in that sense.

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That's not "Americanism" it's just some dumbass not adhering to the rules,

 

 

I hear ya, but it doesn't change the fact that it was an American tourist. The title is accurate in that sense.

 

 

Which one is it?? you can't have it both ways Steve...

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"If it doesn't belong to you, don't touch it"

The more I read the news, the more I realize our grandparents had some real wisdom in simple phrases.

 

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Which one is it?? you can't have it both ways Steve...

Yes, he can have it as many ways as he pleases. Americanism and being American are obviously different terminologies.

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The guy is an idiot, no doubt about that. But if the finger was already a replacement, then why is it such a big deal?

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The guy is an idiot, no doubt about that. But if the finger was already a replacement, then why is it such a big deal?

 

Maybe because it gonna cost money to the museum to replace it again ? It's not like all museums are printing money.

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Maybe because it gonna cost money to the museum to replace it again ? It's not like all museums are printing money.

Obviously it's a big deal to the museum. But is it really news worthy? I mean, if the statue was pristine and still 100% original, then it might be a big deal. But this just seems like a situation where he should have been scolded and kicked out of the museum.

 

It must be a slow news day if this story made the cut.

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Obviously it's a big deal to the museum. But is it really news worthy?

 

It must be a slow news day if this story made the cut.

I'm not fanatical about Art, but many people are serious art lovers, and this would be shocking and upsetting to them. ;)

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was reportedly trying to measure it when he violated museum decorum

 

What a load of tosh thats a poor excuse I bet he was up to something else

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hey, i have done a lot of fun dumb stuff in museums, i was warned and kicked out a few times.    i never damaged anything.

 

 

i am sure they guy did not mean it, and if the statue was original, nothing would have happened. 

 

 

definitely dumb, but not unexpected to happen

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