A British woman was caught writing her name on a 678-year-old Italian bridge and forced to wash it, police said.
The 20-year-old tourist was caught writing her initials in ballpoint pen on the Ponte Vecchio on Tuesday morning in Florence, Italy, before she was forced to wash it and fined £140.
It comes after a Bulgarian gym instructor from Bristol was filmed carving his initials into Rome’s 2,000-year-old Colosseum last month.
The Ponte Vecchio is a 98-foot landmark spanning the Arno River, with a famous narrow, cobblestone walkway lined with shops.
The original bridge was built in 996 and completed in 1345, but has since been washed away by floods and rebuilt several times.
The 20-year-old tourist was caught writing her initials on the Ponte Vecchio (pictured) on Tuesday morning in Florence, Italy, before she was forced to wash it and fined £137.
And in January, an American tourist was fined £430 after trying to cross the same famous Italian bridge in a rented Fiat Panda.
The Californian man, who was not identified, was reportedly looking for a parking space.
In June, the shameless Ivan Dimitrov, 27, was caught red-handed while writing his name and that of his girlfriend Hayley Bracey, 33, on a wall at the famous tourist site.
The couple were in the first leg of a three-week European vacation while their home was being renovated, and an outraged American tourist filmed it and posted images online that went viral.
In what officials described as a “surreal” letter to Rome’s mayor, police and Colosseum authorities, Dimitrov has now apologized for what he did, revealing his ignorance in the process.
He wrote: ‘Aware of the seriousness of the act committed, with these lines I wish to address my heartfelt and sincere apologies to the Italians and to the entire world for the damage caused to a property that, in fact, is the patrimony of all humanity.
Ivan Dimitrov (pictured), 27, said he only found out about the “antiquity” of the Colosseum after he was caught red-handed carving his and his girlfriend’s names on the monument’s wall.
Gym instructor Ivan Dimitrov, 27, and his girlfriend Hayley Bracey, 33.
‘I admit with profound shame that it was only after what unfortunately happened that I found out about the antiquity of the monument.
‘The council guards with dedication, care and sacrifice the inestimable historical and artistic value of the Colosseum.’
A passerby filmed the tourist carving names into the stone walls of the 1,937-year-old building with a set of keys.
Dimitrov can be seen writing ‘Ivan + Hayley 23’ on one of the bricks on June 23.
The video was shared on Reddit with the caption: “A tourist carves a name into the Colosseum in Rome.”
In the video, the English-speaking man filming the footage says: ‘Are you serious, man? That’s fucked up, man. Stupid fool.
Reddit users called on the cartel to forward the video to the police so the vandal could be arrested.
In a statement at the time, 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. , to engrave 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.”
Rome hooligan Ivan Dimitrov poses with his girlfriend Hayley Bracey in a gym
A still image from a recording of him desecrating the Colosseum. He faces a possible fine of up to 15,000 euros and could spend between two and five years in jail when the case goes to court.
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.