Selfie-taking tourists damage priceless Hercules statue in Italy
The statue dates back to 1700 and has long been seen as a symbol of Cremonia
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-05-05 19:07 GMT
London: Two tourists in northern Italy have landed in a soup after they broke off a piece of a priceless statue of Hercules, which dates back to 1700, while trying to climb it and take a picture with it. The 'Statue of the two Hercules' in Cremona suffered the damage on Friday night when they involuntarily broke off a piece of the marble crown on top of the monument.
The two men who thought it would be a good idea to climb the 18th century statue for the photo, found out the hard way that the marble did not have Herculean strength. The two perpetrators have been identified by the police, 'The Local' reported.
Situated under the portico of the 13th century Loggia dei Militi, the monument depicts two statues of Hercules holding a large shield. It is considered to be a symbol of Cremona itself, which is said to be founded by the mythological hero, according to 'Corriere della Sera'.
Technicians have since visited the site to assess the damage caused to the statue and determine whether it can be repaired.