U.S. tourist demanding to see the pope smashes sculptures at Vatican

An American man who reportedly demanded to see Pope Francis damaged a pair of Roman sculptures at the Vatican on Wednesday, according to a report.

The tourist allegedly slammed down one of the art pieces at Museo Chiaramonti after his papal request was denied, then knocked over another when he was being chased away, the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero reported.

“The busts were affixed to shelves with a nail but if you pull them down with force they will come off,” Matteo Alessandrini, press director for Vatican Museums, told CNN.

“He pulled down one and then the other and the guards came immediately and stopped him and consigned him to the Vatican police who brought him in for questioning,” Alessandrini said. “Around 5:30 p.m. he was handed over to the Italian authorities.”

The sculptures, which are both reportedly about 2,000 years old, weren’t badly damaged and will be returned to the museum once they’re restored, Alessandrini said.

The culprit was said to be around 50 years old was not publicly identified.