‘Ivan + Hayley 23’: Tourist who carved names on Rome’s Colosseum sparks outrage in Italy
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If convicted, the man could face a fine of at least S$22,100 or up to five years’ jail.
PHOTOS: DAVID7992/TWITTER, AFP
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A tourist who carved names on a wall of the ancient Colosseum in Italy’s capital has caused an outrage in the country, where the police are now tracking him down.
His action was caught on video, which was posted online and circulated on social media, according to news reports.
The video’s title states that the incident happened on June 23.
In the video, the man, who has not been identified yet, is seen using a set of keys to carve the words “Ivan + Hayley 23” on the wall. A woman is seen next to him, but it is unclear if they are related.
At one point, the man turns around and grins at the person filming the video, who is heard saying: “Are you serious, man?”
The amphitheatre is almost 2,000 years old and is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The incident has prompted a response from Italy’s Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano on Monday.
“I consider it very serious, unworthy and a sign of great incivility that a tourist defaces one of the most famous places in the world, the Colosseum, to engrave the name of his fiancee,” said Mr Sangiuliano in Italian on his Twitter account.
“I hope that whoever did this will be identified and sanctioned according to our laws.”
His post included a video of the incident and a blurred image of the tourist.
If convicted, the man could face a fine of at least €15,000 (S$22,100) or up to five years’ jail, according to media reports which cited Italian news outlet ANSA.
Ms Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum, told MailOnline: “The Carabinieri police are now tracking down this man and we will see if we can get him.
“When you get uneducated people at 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 informed of this incident and are looking to identity the culprit and when he is caught, he will be punished.”
Criticisms of the tourist were also seen on social media.
A netizen wrote on YouTube: “Absolutely despicable behaviour and I hope they get fined for it or worse. The cheeky smile at the end shows he CLEARLY knew what he was doing was wrong. This is what entitlement looks like.”
Another wrote on the same platform: “I do believe they take it personally for defacing monuments. It may even be against the law there.”
This is not the first time that such an incident occurred.
In 2015, two American tourists carved their initials
Both tourists were reportedly charged with “aggravated damage to a building of historical and artistic interest”, according to the Italian newspaper La Stampa, and they were fined US$21,808 (S$29,480).
In 2014, a Russian tourist was fined €20,000 for engraving the letter “K” on a wall of the Colosseum.
