According to an article in Il Messdowro, a middle-aged American tourist asked to see the Pope and became angry when he was told that would not be possible. He then threw a bust to the ground and shoved an employee while trying to run away.
The man bought a ticket to the Vatican's Chiaramonti Museum, which displays busts.
After the incident, he was restrained by a security guard and taken to the police station for questioning.
Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, told reporters: “The person who pulled down the statues was captured by the gendarmerie and handed over to the Italian authorities.
Corriere Della Sera, which means Afternoon News, reported that the man had been accused of indecent behavior in public in the past.
The damaged marble sculptures represent "unknown figures" and are part of a collection in the Chiaramonti Museum created during the reign of Pope Pius VII Chiaramonti. Church from 1800 to 1823, including more than 1,000 busts, several others, and sarcophagi from ancient Rome.
The Holy See told Corriere Della Sera that the damage to the bust was "insignificant, there was no major damage to the face, perhaps one of the two specimens had partial damage to the nose."
Reports say the busts have been moved to the Vatican Museums' marble restoration workshop.
Elizabeth Lev, an art historian who offers tours of the Vatican Museums, shared the news on Twitter, noting that, “Tragically, our first post-pandemic tourist season has come to an end. ruined by irresponsible tourists.”
Since Italy reopened to tourism, many times visitors have damaged or put historic sites in jeopardy.
Earlier this year, in Rome and Pisa, tourists crashed drones into medieval buildings. And in June, two tourists rode their scooters down Rome's Spanish Steps, causing $27,000 worth of damage.
None of this can compare to the time in May 1972 when a man entered St. Peter's Basilica with a hammer hidden in his coat. He then smashed Michelangelo's statue of Pietà or Our Lady of Sorrows, damaging Mary's arms, nose, and eyelids. The sculpture of the body of Jesus in the hands of His Mother has been restored and returned to St Peter's Basilica, and is protected behind a bulletproof acrylic sheet.