A Japanese tourist plunged 22ft to his death while touring the Pantheon in Rome’s with his daughter.
Hibino Morimasa was struck by a sudden illness, which caused him to lose his balance and fatally drop.
The 69-year-old had sat down on the wall which protects the moat that surrounds the distinctive rotunda.
Police officers said the man had fallen face down into the gap, crashing into the Pantheon’s steps.
A passing priest noticed Mr Morimasa lying on the ground and alerted a Carabinieri officer, who called the emergency services.
However by the time police and firefighters arrived on the scene, he was unresponsive, according to local news reports.
According to La Repubblica, police obtained footage from the monument’s CCTV cameras as well as from a nearby makeup and cosmetics store.
An investigation has been launched into the tragic incident.
The historic church was first consecrated in AD 609 and remains in use as a Catholic place of worship.
One of Italy’s most visited attractions, it is a property of the state and managed jointly by the Italian government and the Holy See, which governs the Vatican City.
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