Italians are furious after an English-speaking man filmed a tourist scribbling “Ivan + Hayley” on the wall of the ancient Colosseum in Rome.
A passerby filmed the tourist carving names into the stone walls of the 1,937-year-old building using a set of keys.
The man can be seen writing ‘Ivan + Hayley 23’ on one of the bricks, likely trying to reflect the date of his visit, which the English-speaking man who recorded the footage said was last Friday, June 23.
The man who was carving the walls, who was wearing shorts and a blue T-shirt, smiled at the camera when he realized he was being filmed.
The video was shared on Reddit with the caption: “A tourist carves a name into the Colosseum in Rome.”
A passerby filmed the tourist carving the name into the stone walls of the 1,937-year-old building using a set of keys. According to the English-speaking man who recorded the images, the incident occurred on Friday, June 23.
It seems that he carved ‘Ivan + Hayley 23’ on 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 fucking man. Stupid fool.
Other users were quick to comment, sharing their outrage and speculating that the man’s name was ‘Ivan’ and ‘Hayley’ was his girlfriend.
They also asked the cartel to send the video to the police, so that the vandal can be arrested.
If you are caught, you could face a massive fine which in the past has been up to £17,000. You could even face up to a year in jail.
In a statement, Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said: “I consider it very serious, undignified and a sign of great impoliteness for a tourist to deface one of the most famous places in the world, a historical heritage such as the Colosseum, in order to record the name of his fiancée.
“I hope that whoever made this gesture in the Flavio Amphitheater is identified and punished in accordance with our laws.”
Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum, told MailOnline: ‘The Carabinieri police are now tracking this man and we will see if we can catch him.
“When you have uneducated people in the Coliseum, this kind of vandalism happens and I hope there are no imitators.”
A spokesman for the Carabinieri paramilitary police in Rome added: “We have been informed of this incident and we are seeking to identify the culprit and when he is caught, he will be punished.”
This is not the first time tourists have been fined for vandalizing what is believed to be the world’s largest amphitheater.
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 the Colosseum’s private security and immediately informed the officers.
The man’s two initials, about 2 inches tall, are said to have been carved with a metal tip into a first-floor pillar in September 2020.
The anonymous man was accused of damaging a historical and artistic landmark.
In the video, the English-speaking man filming the footage said to the other: ‘Are you serious, man? That’s fucking man. Stupid fool. Other users were quick to comment, sharing his 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’ into a section of brick.
In January 2017, the Colosseum was vandalized with black spray paint, authorities said.
Fines start at £1,750 (€2,065), while a sentence could go up to a year in prison.
Archaeologist Federica Rinaldi, who is responsible for the ancient Roman amphitheatre, said the people who carve their initials on the monument want to “appropriate” it.
He added: “The Colosseum, like any monument that represents the history of all of us, must be preserved and handed down to future generations.”
The Colosseum, considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world, is a World Heritage Site.
This is along with 54 other Italian sites that make up the city’s historic center.
In January 2017, the The Coliseum was vandalized with black spray paint, authorities said.
The name ‘Balto’ and the word ‘Morte’ (death) were sprinkled on the pillar overnight.
In 2015, two American tourists were arrested for carving initials at the Colosseum. Before they were seen, the women, ages 21 and 25, were able to carve a J and an N into a brick wall on the first floor of the west side of the Colosseum.
Two Brazilian men who tried to scale a gate into the Coliseum the same day were detained by authorities when they fell 13 feet (4 meters), one of whom broke his hip bone.
CCTV was studied to see if they were responsible for the graffiti.
Francesco Prosperetti, special superintendent of the Colosseum, said: “We are concerned that this could become a game and people could start competing.”
In 2015, twoo American tourists were arrested for carving initials at the Colosseum.
Before they were seen, the women, ages 21 and 25, were able to carve a J and an N into a brick wall on the first floor of the west side of the Colosseum.
After carving 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 are said to have become separated from their tour group, but other tourists saw what had happened and alerted security.
Police charged the women with “aggravated damage to a building of historical and artistic interest,” according to Repubblica.
After they were caught, the women apologized to the Piazza Dante police and Captain Lorenzo Iacobone.
They said: ‘We apologize for what we did. We are sorry but we did not imagine that it was something so serious. We will remember it for a lifetime.
According to The Guardian, the damaged section dates back to the 1800s, a key restoration period.
A spokesman for the Special Superintendence for the Archaeological Heritage of Rome is quoted as saying: “It is not an original wall, but it is nevertheless ancient.”
In 2014, a Russian tourist was fined £17,000 (€20,000) for carving the letter ‘K’ into a section of brick.
Construction of the Colosseum began sometime between AD 70 and 72 and it had a capacity for about 50,000 spectators.
They came to see gladiators in combat with each other and dangerous animals, including lions.
Other tourists have caused chaos in Rome repeatedly, such as in 2018 when two British tourists stripped naked and posed for photos in a fountain at one of Rome’s most famous landmarks.
One of the Britons can be seen removing his underwear as the two men frolicked in the water at the foot of the Altare della Patria in the Italian capital.
Other tourists have repeatedly caused chaos in Rome, such as in 2018, when two British tourists stripped naked and posed for photos in a fountain in one of RomeThe most famous monuments.
One of the Britons can be seen removing his underwear as the two men frolicked in the water at the foot of the Altare della Patria in the Italian capital.
Others filmed as the men laughed and playfully flexed their muscles in front of the bewildered tourists.
Their antics were captured on camera by a tour guide at the landmark: a war dead memorial that was originally built to honor Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of unified Italy.
In the footage, two men, reported as British by local media, are seen posing for photos in the fountain wearing only their underpants.
Several people are positioned along the wall, dipping their feet in the water and taking photos.
Then one of the men pulls down his underwear and hides his genitals between his legs to pose nude for photos. Numerous visitors walk past the British as they continue to misbehave.
The images caused outrage on social media. An Italian wrote online: “English sons of bitches, always playing games and seeking attention.”
Local media said at the time that it was another assault on Italy’s heritage.
I am Rakesh Sharma, I associated with Elite News as an Editor, since 2021. I take care of all the news operations like content, budget, hiring and policy making.