Images of a young tourist writing “Ivan+Haley 23” with a key on the wall of the nearly 2000-year-old amphitheater went viral on social media. The incident, which is supposed to have taken place last Friday, was videotaped by another tourist. “Really?” He is heard shouting and cursing.
WANTED BY THE POLICE
After the video went viral, the Colosseum Archaeological Park management complained about the damage done to the ancient amphitheater.
The young man, whose face is clearly seen in the original of the video circulating on social media and whose name is presumed to be Ivan, is being sought by the police.
According to reports in the Italian press, if the young tourist is caught, he could face a fine of 15,000 euros and a prison sentence of up to five years for damaging cultural heritage and violating city regulations.
“I HOPE HE WILL BE PUNISHED AS DEFINED”
The images, which caused a great reaction in the country, were also condemned by the Minister of Culture and the Mayor of Rome.
Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said, “To falsify the Colosseum, one of the symbols of Rome and a world heritage site, with a key is truly an uncivilized and meaningless act. We strongly condemn this barbaric act that offends the entire city and the whole world. I hope the perpetrator is punished as he deserves.” .
“A GREAT CIVILIZATION”
Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano also reacted, “I see it as a very grave, inappropriate and grossly uncivilized for a tourist to falsify the Colosseum, one of the most famous places in the world, in order to inscribe his lover’s name. I hope the person who did this is detected and punished according to our laws.”
Vittorio Sgarbi, one of the country’s most mediatic art historians, also described the tourist as “stupid” and argued that he should be sentenced to a heavy fine. Commenting on such actions as “automatic stupidity,” Sgarbi continued:
“They probably want to leave their lover’s name on a monument whose lifetime is longer than theirs, to give their relationship a sense of eternity. But this gesture doesn’t really work like that. It only does damage, albeit on a micro scale. Such things shouldn’t be done to ancient and somewhat sacred structures like the Colosseum. The damage is more symbolic than physical.”
TURKISH TOURIST WAS FINED 2 THOUSAND 200 EURO
With this case, the number of complaints filed for damage to the Colosseum in the first half of this year has reached four.
Earlier in 2015, a Turkish citizen was sentenced for a similar act at the Imperial Forum (Fori Imperiali) near the Colosseum.
In the area where ancient Roman ruins are found, AD II. A young Turkish tourist who wrote his name on a century-old column was detained and fined 2200 euros.
Speaking to BBC Turkish at that time, the young man asked that his name, which he wrote in the ancient column, not be published and said that he was not aware of such a ban.