A tourist at Florence’s Uffizi Gallery damaged an 18th-century painting after losing his balance while taking a selfie.
The visitor stumbled backwards and crashed into a portrait of Ferdinando de’ Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany.
Visitor Falls Backwards Into 18th Century Portrait During Selfie Attempt
The artwork was painted by Anton Domenico Gabbiani around 1695-1700. Video footage posted by Italian media ANSA on X captured the moment the man leaned back and fell into the painting.
The tourist was posing for a photo when he lost his balance and collided with the canvas.
Local media published photos showing visible damage to the painting, including a tear in the canvas near the prince’s foot.
Museum staff identified the visitor and reported him to the police. The judicial authorities have also been notified of the incident.
Gallery Closes Exhibition for Restoration Work
The damaged portrait was on display as part of an exhibition called “Florence and Europe: Arts of the Eighteenth Century” at the Uffizi. The exhibition featured approximately 150 artworks.
Following the incident, the entire exhibition has been closed until 2 Jul 2025. The painting will undergo restoration during this period.
The exhibition will resume as originally planned and run until 28 Nov 2025 once repairs are completed.
Museum Director Warns of Stricter Visitor Behaviour Limits
Uffizi Gallery director Simone Verde confirmed the damage was not severe and could be repaired. However, he warned that the museum may impose restrictions on visitor behaviour in the future.
Verde told ANSA: “The problem of visitors coming to museums to make memes or take selfies for social media is rampant.”
He added: “We will set very precise limits, preventing behaviour that is not compatible with the sense of our institutions and respect for cultural heritage.”
Verde explained the tourist fell backwards while trying to “make a meme in front” of the portrait.
This incident follows another case of selfie-related damage at an Italian museum earlier in 2025.
At the Palazzo Maffei in Verona, a man slipped and fell onto a bejewelled chair by Italian artist Nicola Bolla. He had been taking photos and pretending to sit on it.
Museum director Vanessa Carlon said: “Sometimes we lose our brains to take a picture, and we don’t think about the consequences. Of course it was an accident, but these two people left without speaking to us – that isn’t an accident.”
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