Tourists break piece off priceless 'Statue of the two Hercules' in Italy while trying to take a selfie

The two tourists managed to knock off a piece of the statue’s crown, which smashed as it hit the floor

La Loggia dei Militi, where the 'Statue of the two Hercules' sits (Wikimedia Commons)

Two tourists have managed to break off a piece of a priceless Italian statue which smashed to the floor after they tried to climb it and take a selfie.

The ‘Statue of the two Hercules,’ which sits in the northern Italian town of Cremona, shows the city’s emblem being held by two depictions of Hercules, the mythological demi-God who is said to have founded the city.

A large crown is shown sitting on top of the city emblem in the statue. It is part of the crown which broke off when the tourists tried to climb it, the Local reports.

The incident happened on Friday night and by Sunday police had identified two perpetrators, according to the Corriere della Sera.

Technicians have since visited the site to assess the damage caused to the statue.

The statue dates back to 1700 and has long been seen as a symbol of Cremonia.

Before it sat in its current position under the portico of the 13th century Loggia dei Militi, it had originally been set on the top of the Cremonia city gates.

Two years ago an American tourist accidentally snapped a finger off a 600-year-old statue in Florence, which happened when he was trying to measure the figure’s finger.