18th-century statue damaged by selfie-taking tourists

Selfies are a popular way of capturing fun activities and attractions. Unfortunately, in their attempts to just that, two tourists recently broke a priceless Italian sculpture.

The piece damaged is the 'Statue of the Two Hercules,' a work which was completed in the early 1700s and has been on display in the town of Cremona ever since.

It was originally perched atop the city's gate, but was moved to a piazza in 1962.

The work features two figures depicting the namesake god.

The pair of selfie-taking tourists broke it off when they attempted to climb the statue.

The crown then fell to the ground – and to pieces.

Authorities have identified the duo responsible, and the damage they did to the artwork is being assessed.

This is likely the sort of scenario that institutions such as the Smithsonian are hoping to avoid by implementing a recent ban on selfie sticks.

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