CNN
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ItalyThe culture minister has called for a man to be “identified and sanctioned” after he was pictured carving his and his fiancee’s names into the Colosseum in Rome.
Gennaro Sangiuliano He tweeted that Monday: “I find it very extreme, inappropriate and a sign of great indecency for a tourist to carve his fiancee’s name on a historical heritage (site) like the Colosseum, one of the most famous places in the world. ”
“I hope whoever did this will be identified and prosecuted in accordance with our laws,” he continued.
The minister’s tweet included a blurry picture of the young tourist and a video showing him using a key to carve letters into one of the walls of the nearly 2,000-year-old amphitheater.
According to Italian news agency ANSA, the inscription reads “Ivan+Haley 23”.
The alleged incident took place on Friday, and police were alerted by videos appearing on social media, ANSA reported.
If convicted, the man could face a fine of at least €15,000 ($16,360) or up to five years in prison, the news agency said.
A similar incident occurred in 2020 Irish tourist accused of vandalizing ColosseumThe security staff found him allegedly carving his initials into the ancient structure and reported it to the police.