Raphael Painting Saved

VATICAN CITY — A man in a wheelchair hurled flammable liquid at the Madonna of Foligno in the Vatican Museum and set the liquid aflame Tuesday, but guards saved the 16th-Century Raphael painting.

Police identified the man as Thomas Lange, 32 of West Berlin, who has lived in Italy for about a year. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro said he was “showing signs of being handicapped, also mentally.” The suspect was taken to a mental hospital.

Lange attacked the work in the Vatican picture gallery at about 9:40 a.m., struggling up from the wheelchair, opening a container and hurling the liquid toward the painting, Navarro said. He then threw a lighted match at the liquid, which had splashed on the wall and the floor beneath the painting, Navarro said. It caught fire, but two guards immediately extinguished the blaze.