A tourist who was filmed carving names onto an inner wall of Rome’s historic Colosseum has said that he did not realise how old the monument was when he committed the act of vandalism.

| 06 Jul 2023


A tourist who was filmed carving names onto an inner wall of Rome’s historic Colosseum has said that he did not realise how old the monument was when he committed the act of vandalism.
Ivan Dimitrov, who is based in the UK and now faces legal proceedings, said he understood “the seriousness of the deed” in an apology letter to Rome’s mayor, after etching “Ivan + Hayley 23” on the 2,000 year-old World Heritage monument.
“I admit with profound embarrassment that only after what regretfully happened did I learn of the antiquity of the monument,” he added in the letter, published in Italian newspaper Il Massaggero.
If convicted, Dimitrov could face a fine of up to €15,000 (US$16,200, £12,500) as well as a prison sentence of between two and five years.
More here (Italian language website)
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