Some people really want their name to be a part of history, but carving your initials into the side of an ancient monument isn’t the way to be immortalized.
Two more European tourists were caught this month defacing the nearly 2,000-year-old Colosseum in Rome, a local military spokesperson told CNN.
The two separate instances of vandalism come only weeks after a 27-year-old British tourist was filmed using a key to carve his and his apparent girlfriend’s names into the side of the historic amphitheater. The viral video — which shows the man’s “Ivan+Haley 23” inscription — triggered international outrage.
On Friday, a 17-year-old Swiss girl was also filmed as she allegedly carved an ‘N’ into a Colosseum wall. The recording was shared by the Italian news agency ANSA, though the unnamed minor’s face is blurred. A crowd can be heard applauding the girl when she steps away from the wall.
Local tour guide David Battaglino told the Italian newspaper La Republica he was the one to film the vandalism. When he allegedly confronted the minor and her parents about the illegal carving, they said the girl had done nothing wrong.
Battaglino said he reported the vandalism to police, who questioned the girl and her family.
On Saturday, only one day after the Swiss girl was caught, a 17-year-old from Germany was reportedly spotted by security as he carved something into the Colosseum. CNN claimed the teen was reported to the Carabinieri, Italy’s national police force.
Both tourists, despite being minors, may face a fine of up to €15,000 (C$22,200) and a maximum of five years in jail.
The 27-year-old British tourist, Ivan Dimitrov, may face the same consequences, though it is unclear if he has been charged.
Dimitrov published an apology in the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero after he was outed for the graffiti.
The English tourist wrote, according to a translation from The Guardian, that he was “embarrassed” to have not realized “the seriousness of the deed committed.” He said he did not know the ancient age of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“Through these lines I would like to address my heartfelt and honest apologies to the Italians and to the whole world for the damage caused to an asset which, in fact, is the heritage of all humanity,” Dimitrov wrote.
Carving into the Colosseum is not a new trend. Several names can already be found engraved into various walls of the historic structure.
In 2014, a Russian tourist was fined €20,000 (nearly C$29,600) and received a four-year suspended jail sentence for engraving a big letter ‘K’ on a wall of the Colosseum.
The following year, two American tourists were also cited for aggravated damage after they carved their names into the monument.
The Colosseum began construction between AD 70 and AD 72 and was completed by AD 80. Located just east of Palatine Hill, the giant amphitheater became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.
— With files from Global News’ Kathryn Mannie
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