Tourists caught vandalizing Rome's ancient Colosseum once again

Two additional tourists have been apprehended for allegedly damaging the Colosseum in Rome, mirroring a similar incident from June.

On Friday, a 17-year-old girl from Switzerland was seen carving her initials into a Colosseum wall by a tourist guide. A representative from the local Carabinieri police force confirmed the incident to Dinogo on Monday, noting that the guide promptly contacted security, who then informed the Carabinieri.

The following day, a 17-year-old German student was caught engaging in a similar act. A security guard noticed the teen and reported the incident to the Carabinieri.

A 27-year-old British tourist, who was filmed carving his name into the ancient arena's wall last month, could face similar penalties.

Ivan Dimitrov later issued an apology letter to the local prosecutor’s office, according to his defense lawyer.

In his letter to the prosecutor, Dimitrov admitted, 'With deep embarrassment, I only realized the historical significance of the monument after the regrettable incident,' as reported by his lawyer, Alexandro Maria Tirelli, to Dinogo.

Dimitrov is said to have etched 'Ivan+Hayley 23' into the Colosseum’s wall, symbolizing the names of him and his girlfriend.

After the video surfaced, Italy's culture minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano, took to Twitter, calling for the culprit to be 'punished according to Italian law.'

Sangiuliano condemned the act, stating, 'It is deeply serious, disgraceful, and a clear sign of disrespect for a tourist to deface one of the world’s most renowned landmarks, a historical heritage site like the Colosseum, by carving his fiancée’s name.'

A similar event took place in 2020 when an Irish tourist was caught by security staff allegedly carving his initials into the ancient structure, prompting a police report.