Portrait in Florence allegedly damaged by visitor taking a selfie

The museum says it will impose restrictions on selfie-taking in the future.

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Florence's Uffizi Gallery said a tourist fell backwards while trying to "make a meme in front" of a portrait of Ferdinando de' Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany, by Anton Domenico Gabbiani.

The museum explained the damage could be repaired quickly but director Simone Verde warned restrictions on visitor behaviour could be imposed in the future.

He said in a statement: "The problem of visitors coming to museums to make memes or take selfies for social media is rampant.

"We will set very precise limits, preventing behaviour that is not compatible with the sense of our institutions and respect for cultural heritage," he added.