The director of Florence’s Uffizi Galleries has voiced strong criticism after a tourist, while attempting to take a selfie, ripped a hole in a historic 18th-century portrait. This incident, according to Simone Verde, the museum’s director, is part of a larger problem: visitors’ obsession with taking photos for social media.
The man trying to take a photo stumbled over a platform designed to maintain distance from the historical painting by Anton Domenico Gabbiani, named “Portrait of Ferdinando de’ Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany” (circa 1695–1700).
A video shows a man visiting on 21 June, posing with his hand on the painting and his toes lifted. The visitor was trying to mimic the portrait’s posture, which led him to lose balance while stepping backwards.
A tourist visiting the Uffizi Galleries this morning in Florence tripped and damaged a XVII century painting after falling over while taking a selfie.
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) June 21, 2025
The painting by Anton Domenico Gabbiani was removed to allow restorers to work on it.pic.twitter.com/MLjreOShAq
The more than 300-year-old artwork, part of the “Florence and Europe: Arts of the 18th Century” exhibition on the ground floor, has a tear at the bottom of the canvas, right where the prince’s right boot is painted.
Currently, the painting has been taken down for repairs, and even though experts say that the damage is not extensive, the museum identified the person and reported them to the police for culpable damage.
A tourist at Florence's renowned Uffizi Gallery accidentally damaged an 18th-century masterpiece while taking a selfie.
— 鳳凰資訊 PhoenixTV News (@PhoenixTV_News) June 23, 2025
The painting, on loan for an exhibition, suffered minor damage and has been removed for restoration, expected to take a few days. The man's nationality and… pic.twitter.com/6sGGeRHQiu
Verde said in a statement that the problem of visitors coming to take selfies “for social media is rampant.” He also added that they plan to “set very precise limits, preventing behaviours that are not compatible with the sense of our institutions and respect for cultural heritage.” Additionally, Verde stated: “The tourist, who was immediately identified, will be prosecuted.”
The incident happened just several days after a tourist smashed a crystal-covered “Van Gogh” chair by artist Nicola Bolla at Palazzo Maffei. The man was caught on camera sitting on the chair before it collapsed beneath him. According to Palazzo Mafei, the broken chair was “every museum’s nightmare,” criticising the stunt as “disrespectful.”
The issue of selfie-focused tourists is widespread, with countries like Spain and Japan taking preventive measures to curb overtourism. For instance, Spanish authorities aim to build a separate space in front of the Sagrada Familia, and Japan has banned tourists from accessing parts of the city to stop disturbing geishas. Additionally, in a small Japanese city of Otaru, security guards were hired to stop tourists from taking selfies. This follows the death of a tourist, who was fatally struck by a train after stepping onto its tracks without noticing it approaching.
