Tourist Damages Swarovski Crystal Chair in Verona Museum

A tourist recently caused quite a ruckus at the Maffey Palace in Verona, Italy, when he reportedly sat on a chair adorned with Swarovski crystals. Cameras caught the shocking moment, leading to the museum sharing the incident on social media.

In a post on Facebook, the museum lamented that “every museum nightmare has become a reality.” A staff member even noted, “Unfortunately, if it wasn’t actually happening, what you just saw would be ridiculous.”

The museum mentioned that tourists appear to wait for security to leave before acting, which is concerning. The chairs, they noted, are “very easily broken,” and one in particular, Nicola Mullet’s ‘Van Gogh’ chair, suffered significant damage.

“The irresponsible gestures seriously damaged the artwork,” the museum pointed out, emphasizing the fragile nature of such displays.

In the days that followed, it was uncertain whether the chair could be restored. “We were really worried that we might not be able to restore it,” a museum representative admitted.

Fortunately, with the help of various individuals, including restorers and police, the museum managed to restore the chair. They expressed relief over the outcome, stating, “We’re going to the police, our security department and the restorators who have made it possible for our valuable work to be restored.”

The museum also sees this as an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of art and respect for such works. However, it’s unclear how much this will all cost or if the tourists involved have been identified or held responsible.