Tourist destroys 18th century statue by taking a selfie in a museum in Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon's statue of Saint Michael which dates back to the early 1700s, is now broken and beyond repair, reported The Sun.

The priceless 300-year-old statue was destroyed by a selfie-taking Brazilian tourist, reports CNTraveler.

According to museum officials at Lisbon's National Museum of Ancient Art, the statue shattered after it was knocked over by an unlucky tourist.

The offending photographer is said to have posted a photo of the destroyed statue to Facebook and said “it’s the price to be paid for free entrances on the first Sunday of every month”.

Portugal’s Ministry of Culture said the accident has raised security concerns for the museum.

They now plan to increase the museum's staff.

Museum officials confirmed that damage to the statue is irreparable. Portuguese authorities are still investigating and it is not yet known if any charges will be brought against the tourist.