Idiot tourist causes $5,400 in damages to famous Italian fountain in pursuit of a selfie

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it’s also worth about $5,400.

One German tourist found this out the hard way when he decided climbing the Fountain of Neptune in Florence, Italy was a good idea. The point was to snag a snazzy selfie, but the 22-year-old ended up with more than he bargained for after reportedly damaging the 16th-Century work twice.

Mayor Dario Nardella posted about the disgusting incident on X, formerly known as Twitter, Monday.

Questo turista ha pensato bene di salire sul Nettuno per un selfie. Per fortuna nessun danno, il sistema di allarme ha funzionato. Grazie alle telecamere del Comune è stato individuato e pagherà una multa salata. Contro il vandalismo sui beni culturali non ci sono giustificazioni pic.twitter.com/QVvBNYaygI

— Dario Nardella (@DarioNardella) September 4, 2023

There is no justification against vandalism of cultural heritage,” he wrote, accompanied by a video and photo with the man’s face blurred out.

According to a German state news outlet, the man has been identified and will face a fine for reportedly breaking off a chunk of marble as well as damaging the horse’s hoof.

The fountain has sat in the Piazza della Signoria since 1574, but was recently restored in 2018. It was originally commissioned during Cosimo I de’Medici’s reign. The latest damage will be repaired during the month of October according to Palazzo Vecchio’s fine arts architect Tommaso Muccini.

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