Placeholder Content Image

Insane excuse for tourist's Colosseum vandalism revealed

<p>The tourist who was caught carving his girlfriend's name into Rome's Colosseum has apologised for his action, while giving a mind-boggling reason as why why he defaced the relic. </p> <div id="story-primary"> <p>Ivan Dimitrov, a 27-year-old Bulgarian-born fitness trainer living in England, penned an apology to the mayor of Rome begging for forgiveness after allegedly using a key to etch “Ivan + Hayley 23” into the wall of the UNESCO heritage site. </p> <p>Dimitrov is facing a steep fine and possible time behind bars for his actions, and told the government official that he did not understand the gravity of his actions until it was too late. </p> <p>His apology, which was published in the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, reads, “It is with deep embarrassment that only after what regrettably happened did I learn of the antiquity of the monument.”</p> <p>He said he was unaware how old the Colosseum was, and it was only after he was identified by police after a five day search that he understand “the seriousness of the deed committed”.</p> <p>“Through these lines I would like to address my heartfelt and honest apologies to the Italians and to the whole world for the damage caused to an asset which, in fact, is the heritage of all humanity,” Mr Dimitrov said.</p> <p>Alexandro Maria Tirelli, Mr Dimitrov's lawyer, painted his client as a run-of-the-mill ignorant tourist.</p></div> <div> <p>“The boy is the prototype of the foreigner who frivolously believes that anything is allowed in Italy, even the type of act which in their own countries would be severely punished,” Mr Tirelli told Il Messaggero.</p> <p>Mr Dimitrov was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/tourist-busted-for-carving-name-into-world-s-most-famous-roman-relic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasted onlin</a>e after the video of him carving his and his girlfriend's name into the monument went viral under the title, “A**hole tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome”.</div> <div> <p>Ryan Lutz, who filmed the act of vandalism, said he had just finished a guided tour of the Colosseum, which was completed in the year 80AD by Emperor Titus, when he spotted the fellow tourist “blatantly carving his name” into the wall.</p> <p>“And as you see in the video, I kind of approach him and ask him, dumbfounded at this point, ‘Are you serious? Are you really serious?’” Mr Lutz said. “And all he could do is like smile at me.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p> </div>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

Tourist busted for carving name into world's most famous Roman relic

<p dir="ltr">An Irish tourist has run himself headfirst into trouble in Rome after he was reportedly caught carving his name - and his girlfriend’s - into the Colosseum. </p> <p dir="ltr">It is said that he had been making his carvings, which were six-centimetre-tall initials, with a metal point - possibly his keys - and gouged into a pillar of the 2000-year-old historic monument.</p> <p dir="ltr">The inscription, dedicated to himself and his partner, reportedly read “Ivan+Haley 23”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Carabinieri police have claimed that the 32-year-old man was caught by private security at the World Heritage Site, and that social media videos of the incident alerted police to the alleged crime. </p> <p dir="ltr">The man has been accused of damaging the historical landmark, the Carabinieri confirmed to <em>CNN</em>, with the act considered to be a crime under Italian law. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Colosseum is one of the seven wonders of the modern world, and also a World Heritage Site, and Italy’s Minister of Culture has called for the tourist to be “identified and sanctioned”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“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, the Colosseum, to engrave the name of his fiancée,” he tweeted, along with footage of the incident. “I hope that whoever did this will be identified and sanctioned according to our laws.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He later uploaded another video, accompanied by the scathing caption “Tourist scars the Colosseum.” </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="it">Reputo gravissimo, indegno e segno di grande inciviltà, che un turista sfregi uno dei luoghi più celebri al mondo, il Colosseo, per incidere il nome della sua fidanzata. Spero che chi ha compiuto questo gesto venga individuato e sanzionato secondo le nostre leggi. <a href="https://t.co/p8Jss1GWuY">pic.twitter.com/p8Jss1GWuY</a></p> <p>— Gennaro Sangiuliano (@g_sangiuliano) <a href="https://twitter.com/g_sangiuliano/status/1673318742057525248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">If the man is convicted, he faces a penalty of at least €2,065 (~$3,370.7) and up to one year in prison, according to <em>CNN</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">And it isn’t the first time the Colosseum has been defaced by those seeking to carve out their place in history, with a Russian tourist facing a fine of €20,000 for carving the letter “K”. </p> <p dir="ltr">It’s a serious offence in the hearts of many, with archaeologist Federica Rinaldi - who is responsible for the ancient amphitheatre - telling the publication that “the Colosseum, like any monument that represents the history of all of us, must be preserved and handed over to future generations.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is a monument that deserves everyone’s respect because it belongs to everyone, and it must remain so,” Rinaldi added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Carving one’s initials, in addition to being a crime, seems to be a gesture of those who want to appropriate the monument. Better take a selfie!”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

Tourists fined for “just having a beer” in Colosseum

<p dir="ltr">Two tourists have received a hefty $1200 fine after breaking into the Colosseum in Rome and having a beer after it was closed.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair, aged 24 and 25 according to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/nov/17/us-tourists-fined-800-for-breaking-into-colosseum-for-beer" target="_blank"><em>The Guardian</em></a>, climbed to the second tier of the tourist attraction in the early hours on Monday (local time).</p> <p dir="ltr">They<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/tourist-fined-1200-illegal-act-colosseum-rome-200613025.html" target="_blank">reportedly</a><span> </span>chatted over some beers while the amphitheatre was closed to the public.</p> <p dir="ltr">The American tourists climbed over high railings, walked to the second level, and settled at a spot overlooking the city,<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/tourists-rome-colosseum-beer/index.html" target="_blank"><em>CNN</em></a><span> </span>reported.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, they were spotted by a member of the public at about 5.30 am who alerted the police.</p> <p dir="ltr">They told police they were “just having a beer”, the Italian press reported, but were then fined by police for illegally entering the Colosseum.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the<span> </span><em>BBC</em>, the pair were fined a total of 800 Euros, or $AUD 1250.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, this isn’t the first time tourists have broken the rules at the Colosseum.</p> <p dir="ltr">In 2015, two California women left their tour group and etched their initials into the structure, an action which is strictly forbidden.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Our Partners