A man jumped onto the altar of St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Friday, knocking off six candelabra worth about 30,000 euros (Rs 27,15,750) before officers intervened, reports said. The man, of Romanian origin, was stopped by members of the Vatican security force during the incident on Friday morning and then reported to the tiny city state's inspectorate for security, the AGI and ANSA news agencies said.
Mobile phone footage circulating on social media showed a man standing on the altar under the towering Baldachin canopy, kicking off the candelabra and then removing the white altar cloth before officers stepped in.
A man desecrates the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican by climbing on top of it and throwing six candelabras to the ground. pic.twitter.com/2Bil7ORaEK
— Maestro (@BelloMaestro) February 8, 2025
The altar was built above the tomb of Saint Peter, who in the Christian tradition was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ.
It is covered by the 29-metre (95-foot) Baldachin, comprising four bronze columns and a canopy by Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
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