Overview

• CCTV footage released by Palazzo Maffei shows a male tourist waiting for guards to exit before boldly sitting on the fragile, crystal-studded chair, causing it to buckle against the wall.
• The artwork, named the 'Van Gogh' chair and created by Italian artist Nicola Bolla, is covered in hundreds of Swarovski crystals that media describe as extremely delicate.
• The museum described the incident as “every museum’s nightmare” in a social media post that blamed an “irresponsible gesture” for inflicting serious damage.
• Restorers, with support from Italian law enforcement, completed repairs by June 13 after days of uncertainty over whether the chair could be saved.
• Palazzo Maffei used the episode to launch a campaign encouraging visitors to value and protect cultural heritage.