[VIDEO] Outrage After Tourists Film Themselves Defacing Rome’s Colosseum

Upon beholding the grandeur of the Colosseum in Rome for the first time, most individuals are overcome with a profound sense of awe, not only due to its majestic presence but also its captivating history. Amidst such marvel, it would be inconceivable for any rational person to entertain the notion of defacing this exquisite monument. However, an exception to sanity emerged in the form of an individual, whose identity remains undisclosed, fixated on a singular notion.

This disrespectful tourist, captured in a video that has surfaced, sought to impress their partner by etching "Ivan + Hayley 23" onto the ancient bricks of the Colosseum, employing their keys as the tool of desecration. The act was met with dismay by an attentive onlooker who conscientiously documented the unfortunate incident.

Upon realizing that their actions were being recorded, the vandal responded with a wide, foolish grin before resuming his graffito. Little do they realize, their smiles will surely fade when confronted with the severe penalty of €20,000 imposed for such acts of vandalism.



From Screenshot: 

Italy’s Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano said in a statement: “I consider it very serious, unworthy and a sign of great incivility that a tourist defaces one of the most famous places in the world, a historical heritage such as the Colosseum, to engrave the name of his fiancée.”

Users on Reddit shared their outrage at the incident, with one poster saying that it’s just “common sense to not damage sites like that.”

Another commenter implored the Italian government to inflict the perpetrator with an even stricter fine in the hopes that it would deter others from committing similar acts of stupidity on ancient monuments.

This is far from the first time an incident like this has occurred. In 2014, a Russian tourist was fined €20,000 for carving the letter “K” into a section of a heritage site’s brickwork. Two American women were later arrested in 2015 for the exact same reason.

We earnestly hope that the Italian government promptly identifies this individual and enforces the most substantial fine possible as a punitive measure.

Perhaps that might discourage nincompoops like this from defacing historical monuments.