Salvator Rosa work damaged by accident

Florence, June 21 - A tourist accidentally poked a hole in the painting La Menzogna (The Lie) by a Baroque master in Florence's Uffizi Gallery Thursday.

The security cameras captured the woman as she leaned on the painting, by 17th-century Neapolitan great Salvator Rosa.

Upon later inspection, the work was found to have a small round hole in the lower part of it, officials said.

Police said they probably won't be pressing charges against the woman because the act was clearly unintentional.

Rosa (1615-1673) is remembered for his wildly romantic or "sublime" landscapes, marine paintings, and battle pictures. An accomplished poet, satirist, actor, and musician, he incited the wrath of Baroque genius Gian Lorenzo Bernini and moved from Rome to Florence where he hosted a famous literary and artistic salon.