Man carves fiancee's name on to the Colosseum in latest vandalism report from Rome

Love was in the air, followed by chaos, when a viral video revealed a tourist carving his and his fiancee's names onto the historic walls of Rome's Colosseum, leaving a lasting mark.

The incident sparked outrage among netizens, who swiftly called for legal action to be taken against the couple.

Italy's Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, demanded that the man responsible be identified and penalized for his actions. The inscription, "Ivan+Haley 23," was reportedly carved using keys on the ancient walls of this nearly 2000-year-old heritage site.

• Defacing such iconic landmarks falls under the category of vandalism, carrying significant fines ranging from €8,000 to €60,000 (approximately Rs 4 lakh to 54 lakh).
• Moreover, the perpetrator could potentially face up to one year of imprisonment.

This incident, which took place on Friday, came to light through videos circulating on social media, prompting the authorities to take action.

However, this is not the first such incident in Rome.

1. Rome's Spanish Steps transformed into a scooter slide by US tourists, resulting in a damage bill of Rs 20 lakh

A pair of mischievous American tourists landed themselves in trouble when one of them was caught on camera launching an electric scooter down Rome's iconic Spanish Steps. The incident, captured in a video from June 2022, quickly gained attention on social media platforms.

In the footage, the male tourist initiates the chaos by flinging the electric scooter down the renowned Spanish Steps, while his accomplice, a woman, follows suit by tossing another scooter onto the historical landmark. Their reckless fun, however, came at a steep cost, resulting in damages amounting to a staggering $26,000 (Rs 20 lakh).

According to the Italian-language newspaper La Repubblica, the woman proceeded to hurl the scooter two more times "for sheer fun," causing several marble stairs to break.

2. Irish tourist accused of leaving his mark on Rome's Colosseum

In a September 2020 incident, an Irish visitor found himself in trouble after security personnel at Rome's Colosseum caught him engraving his initials into the ancient site.

The 32-year-old troublemaker was apprehended by the Colosseum's own security team, who reported the incident to the authorities.

Using some form of metal point, the Irish man etched his initials onto a pillar situated on the first floor of the 2,000-year-old landmark. He faced charges for damaging the historical site, potentially resulting in a maximum penalty of one year in prison or a minimum fine of 2,065 Euros.

The Colosseum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

3. Polish man crashes drone in Colosseum, violating no-fly zone policy

A 40-year-old Polish tourist found himself in trouble with local police after flying his drone inside the magnificent Colosseum, which is strictly prohibited. Despite clear warnings upon entry, the tourist disregarded the rules and launched his drone.

Within seconds, he lost control, causing the device to crash into the steps of the Colosseum. Fortunately, no damage was reported, but the incident violated the established no-fly zone policy.

Also Read: 6 incidents where tourists pushed limits of sanity