Italy’s Culture Minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano, is actively seeking to identify and penalize a man who was allegedly caught on film carving his and his fiancée’s names into the Colosseum in Rome.
Minister Sangiuliano took to Twitter on Monday, expressing his strong disapproval of the act and describing it as a serious offense and a display of great incivility. He emphasized the significance of the Colosseum as a historical heritage site and stated his hope that the perpetrator would be identified and punished in accordance with the law.
The minister’s tweet included a blurred image of the young man and a video that showed him using keys to carve letters into one of the walls of the 2,000-year-old Colosseum. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the inscription read “Ivan+Haley 23.”
The incident reportedly occurred on Friday, and after the videos began circulating on social media, the police were informed. The video was uploaded to YouTube and garnered over 16,000 views. In the footage, the tourist, dressed in a periwinkle shirt and shorts, can be seen etching names into the historic amphitheater while other individuals express their disapproval.
Reddit users who saw the video called for the man’s arrest, noting that his face was clearly visible. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison or a minimum fine of €15,000 ($16,360), as reported by the news agency.
In response to the users’ comments, the person who recorded the video mentioned that they had shared it with the Colosseum staff, but they did not seem overly concerned about the incident.
Some Reddit users criticized the man’s passive fiancée, suggesting that she should have intervened to prevent the carving. Others condemned both individuals, describing their actions as disgraceful and expressing their disdain for such behavior.
Overall, the incident has sparked widespread outrage, with people calling for appropriate legal action against the man and emphasizing the importance of preserving cultural heritage sites.