2023-06-28 00:52:55
A man decided to immortalize his visit to a Roman monument by scratching “Ivan + Hayley 6/23/23” on the brick, using his keys.
A tourist recently decided to immortalize a visit to the Colosseum in Rome with his girlfriend by scratching their names on one of the walls of the almost 2,000-year-old monument.
“Ivan + Hayley 23/6/23”he engraved Friday on the brick with a set of keys.
The act, apparently caught by another tourist and posted online, has seen Ivan face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 15,000 euros, if he is arrested.
A seemingly unconcerned tourist carves his name into the Colosseum in Rome. Photo .Ryan Lutz, via Reuters
In the video, whose authenticity has not been verified but which has been widely disseminated on the Internet, the person filming Iván asks:
“Really, kid?” Using an expletive.
Those responsible for the Colosseum confirmed the act of vandalism and pointed out that in the vicinity there is a clearly marked sign that reads:
“Forbidden to climb and write on the walls.”
The Italian Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, condemned the act.
“I consider it very serious, undignified and a sign of great incivility that a tourist defaces one of the most famous places in the world,” he said on Twitter.
Sangiuliano put the video back on the defaced wall and said:
“I hope whoever did this is identified and punished according to our laws.”
It is by no means the first time that Italy has faced visitors who want to leave their mark.
Huns, Visigoths, mutinous German mercenaries of the 16th century… take your pick.
Modern tourists are more partying than looting, but they can do a lot of damage.
Three years ago, a series of incidents led lawmakers to toughen laws penalizing those who vandalize Italy’s venerable cultural heritage.
Italy wants to impose even tougher laws on climate activistswho have vandalized cultural property to protest what they call government inaction on climate change.
But tougher laws have not put an end to bad behavior.
Last year, a tourist pushed an electric scooter up the Spanish Steps in Rome, causing damage valued at 25,000 euros (about $27,000).
Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum, which opened in the first century, said the wall that Ivan defaced was built during a restoration in the mid-19th century.
However, that doesn’t change things much.
“Mid-19th century or original, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s vandalism,” Russo said in a phone interview.
Officials at the Coliseum did not learn the wall had been written on until Monday, after the video appeared on YouTubeRusso explained.
In his opinion, the person who did it should have notified the security personnel of the Colosseum.
“It’s not the first time someone has vandalized the monument,” Russo said.
But visitors who see damage taking place are often proactive.
“We usually catch the culprit,” he said.
A representative of the Italian art brigade, which fights the theft of works of art and protects Italy’s artistic heritage, said it was working with the carabinierithe country’s military police, to identify and locate the perpetrator.
Russo affirmed that it is important to punish these types of acts.
“It’s everyone’s heritage,” he said.
c.2023 The New York Times Company
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