Anger in Italy after tourist scribbled names in the wall of the ancient Colosseum in Rome
Italians are furious after a tourist was filmed by an English-speaking man scribbling ‘Ivan + Hayley’ in the wall of the ancient Colosseum in Rome.
A bystander filmed the tourist using a set of keys to carve names into the stone walls of the 1937-year-old building.
The man can be seen scratching “Ivan + Hayley 23” into one of the stones, probably in an attempt to reflect the date of their visit, which the English-speaking man who recorded the footage said was last Friday, June 23.
The man who was carving out the walls, who was wearing shorts and a blue T-shirt, grinned into the camera when he realized he was being filmed.
The video was shared on Reddit with the caption, “A******e tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome.”
A bystander filmed the tourist using a set of keys to carve the name into the stone walls of the 1937-year-old building. According to the English-speaking man who recorded the footage, the incident happened last Friday, June 23
Looks like he carved ‘Ivan + Hayley 23’ into the walls of the Colosseum
In the video, the English-speaking man filming the footage said to the other, “Are you serious man? That’s rotten man. Stupid jerk.’
Other users were quick to respond, sharing their outrage and speculating that the man’s name was “Ivan” and that “Hayley” was his girlfriend.
They also called on the poster to send the video to the police so that the vandal could be arrested.
If caught, he could face a huge fine, which has reached up to £17,000 in the past. He could even get a year in prison.
In a statement, Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said: “I consider it very serious, unworthy and a sign of great discourtesy for a tourist to damage one of the most famous places in the world, a historical heritage such as the Colosseum, in order to engrave.” his fiancé’s name.
“I hope that whoever made this gesture in the Flavian amphitheater will be identified and punished according to our laws.”
Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum, told MailOnline: “The Carabinieri police are tracking this man down now and we’ll see if we can catch him.
“When you get uneducated people in the Colosseum, this kind of hooliganism happens and I hope there are no copycats.”
A spokesman for the Carabinieri paramilitary police in Rome added: “We have been made aware of this incident and are trying to identify the perpetrator and when he is caught, he will be punished.”
It is not the first time tourists have been fined for vandalizing what is believed to be the largest amphitheater in the world.
In 2020, an Irish tourist was arrested for allegedly carving his initials into the Colosseum.
Carabinieri police said a 32-year-old man was caught by private security at the Colosseum and immediately reported to officers.
The man’s two initials, about 6 cm high, are said to have been carved with a metal point on a pillar of the first floor in September 2020.
The unnamed man was accused of damaging a historical and artistic monument.
In the video, the English-speaking man filming the footage said to the other, “Are you serious man? That’s rotten man. Stupid jerk.’ Other users were quick to respond, sharing their outrage and speculating that ‘Hayley’ was the man’s girlfriend
In 2014, a Russian tourist was fined £17,000 (€20,000) for carving the letter ‘K’ on a piece of masonry
In January 2017, the Coliseum was vandalized with black spray paint, officials said
Fines start at £1,750 (€2,065) while a sentence can be up to a year in prison.
Archaeologist Federica Rinaldi, responsible for the ancient Roman amphitheatre, said people who carve their initials on the monument want to “own” it.
She added: “The Colosseum, like any monument that represents the history of all of us, must be preserved and handed down to future generations.”
Considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, the Colosseum is a World Heritage Site.
This is along with 54 other Italian sites that form the historic center of the city.
In January 2017, the The Colosseum was vandalized with black paint, officials said.
The name ‘Balto’ and the word ‘Morte’ (death) were spray painted on the pillar at night.
In 2015, two American tourists were arrested for carving initials into the Colosseum. Before being noticed, the women, 21 and 25, were able to carve a J and an N into a brick wall on the first floor on the west side of the Colosseum
Two Brazilian men who attempted to climb over a gate to the Colosseum on the same day were apprehended by authorities when they fell 13 feet, one of them breaking his hip bone.
CCTV was studied to see if they were responsible for the graffiti.
Francesco Prosperetti, special superintendent for the Colosseum, said: “We are concerned that this could become a game and that people will compete for it.”
In 2015 two American tourists were arrested for carving initials in the Colosseum.
Before they were noticed, the women, 21 and 25, were able to carve a J and an N into a brick wall on the first floor on the west side of the Colosseum.
After cutting the 8-inch-tall letters, the women posed for a selfie together.
The women, just two of the six million tourists who flock to the Colosseum each year, used a coin to engrave the letters, La Stampa reported.
They allegedly broke away from their tour group, but other tourists saw what had happened and alerted security.
Police charged the women with “heavy damage to buildings of historical and artistic importance,” police said Republic.
After being caught, the women apologized to Piazza Dante police and Captain Lorenzo Iacobone.
They said, ‘We apologize for what we did. We’re sorry, but we didn’t think it was this serious. We’ll remember it for a lifetime.’
According to The Guardian, the damaged section dates back to the 1800s – an important period of restoration.
A spokesman for the special superintendency for the archaeological heritage of Rome is quoted as saying, “It is not an original wall, but it is an antique nonetheless.”
In 2014, a Russian tourist was fined £17,000 (€20,000) for carving the letter ‘K’ on a piece of masonry.
Construction of the Colosseum began sometime between 70 and 72 AD and could hold about 50,000 spectators.
They came to see gladiators fighting each other and dangerous animals, including lions.
Other tourists have repeatedly caused chaos in Rome, including in 2018 when two British tourists stripped naked and posed for photos in a fountain at one of Rome’s most famous monuments
One of the Britons can be seen taking off his underwear as the two men frolicked in the water at the foot of Altare della Patria in the Italian capital
Other tourists have repeatedly caused chaos in Rome, as in 2018, when two British tourists stripped naked and posed for photos in a fountain at one of the Romemost famous monuments.
One of the Britons can be seen stripping off his underwear as the two men frolicked in the water at the foot of Altare della Patria in the Italian capital.
Others filmed the men laughing and jokingly flexing their muscles in front of stunned tourists.
Their antics were caught on camera by a guide at the memorial – a monument to war victims originally built in honor of Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy.
The footage shows two men – according to local media British – posing for photos in the fountain in only their underpants.
Several people stand by the wall, dip their feet in the water and take pictures.
One of the men then pulls down his underwear and hides his genitals between his legs to pose nude for photos. Countless visitors walk past the British as they continued to misbehave.
The images sparked outrage on social media. An Italian wrote online: ‘English sons of b*****s, always playing and attention seeking.’
Local media at the time said this was yet another attack on Italy’s heritage.