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A man was reportedly caught on camera carving his and his partner's names into the Colosseum. Gennaro Sangiuliano, the Culture Minister of Italy, addressed the issue via Twitter on Monday and called for the man to be identified.
The incident reportedly took place on Friday and footage of the same instantly went viral on social media. In the video uploaded on Saturday, the tourist in question was seen carving the names with a key on an inside wall of the ancient Roman stone amphitheater.
He wrote "Ivan + Hayley 23/6/23" on the wall. As a bystander asked, "Are you serious, man?" the individual turned around and grinned.
The clip left several netizens angered, as they took to social media to express their views on the same.
The police are currently looking for the individual who carved names on the walls of the Colosseum
The Culture and Tourism Ministers of Italy have vowed to identify and punish the visitor who was seen carving his name and that of his fiancée on the wall of Rome's famous monument, as per The New York Times.
Ryan Lutz of Orange, California, a fellow tourist, filmed the entire incident and shared it on YouTube and Reddit. The video quickly went viral on social media and eventually alerted the police about the same. The viral video has garnered over 16,000 views.
Several individuals on social media have been criticizing the traveler, for his "absolutely despicable behavior." Individuals took to the comments section of the post uploaded by @nowthisnews to react to the incident.
This act is a transgression that has previously resulted in hefty fines. The Carabinieri police are currently investigating the incident. When caught, the individual will face a fine of at least 15,000 euros ($16,415) and up to five years in prison, as per The New York Times.
Addressing the incident, Sangiuliano, the Culture Minister of Italy tweeted:
“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 (site) such as the Colosseum, to carve the name of his fiancée. I hope that whoever carried out this act will be identified and sanctioned according to our laws".
The Colosseum and its history
The Colosseum is an elliptical monument in Rome, Italy, and millions of tourists travel from across the globe to visit the historical site. Located just east of the Roman Forum, the construction of the Colosseum began around 70–72 AD, under the rule of Vespasian. It is the largest ancient amphitheater ever built and also the world's largest standing amphitheater.
Closely associated with gladiator battles during the Roman Empire, the structure is about 189 meters long and 156 meters wide.
