An American tourist who visited the Vatican Museum smashed two ancient Roman statues. According to CNN, this happened after a tourist said that he wanted to meet the Pope and was told that it was impossible..

The incident took place at the Chiaramonti Museum, part of the Vatican Museum, which contains about 1,000 ancient statues.. The museum itself calls itself "

[see_also ids\u003d"

Two of these busts have now been destroyed by a tourist in a fit of rage.. It is reported that he threw one statue on the floor when he heard about the refusal, and knocked the other one down when he began to run away from museum workers..

The statues were taken to workshops for damage assessment and further restoration.. Their age is estimated at 2000 years, but the museum noted that they are secondary works of art and not famous..

According to La Repubblica, one of the busts was left without a nose..

Tourist arrested and handed over to police.

CNN notes that this is not the first time in recent times that tourists have damaged ancient monuments in Rome.. So, in July, a tourist from Canada tried to write her name on the Colosseum.. At the same time, American tourists threw scooters into the Spanish Steps, which led to the breaking off of parts of the monument.. And a tourist from Saudi Arabia drove over it in his Maserati.