Watch this viral video of a tourist defacing Rome’s historic Colosseum

By Mason Berlinka

Published Jun 27, 2023 at 01:01 PM

Reading time: 1 minute

46136

Have you ever found yourself standing in front of a historic monument and thought: “You know what this ancient building that has managed to stand the test of time needs? Some personalised graffiti from me.” Yeah, I didn’t think so. Unfortunately, not everyone seems to operate with the same level of common sense as one mysterious grinning tourist recently vandalised a section of the historical Colosseum in Rome—a tourist hot spot that attracts over six million visitors a year.

The carefree tourist, whose identity is currently unknown, can be seen in the following video trying to impress his partner by carving “Ivan + Hayley 23” into the bricks of the 1,937-year-old Colosseum with his keys while a concerned bystander films the moment.

Upon realising he’s being filmed, the vandal, clad in a blue shirt and shorts, boasts a wide grin before continuing with his masterpiece. He won’t be smiling when he realises the fine he’ll face once his identity is revealed and the consequences from Italy’s highly protective government are laid bare.

If caught, the mystery tourist could face a €20,000 fine as a result of the defacement. Italy’s Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano said in a statement: “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 such as the Colosseum, to engrave the name of his fiancée.”

Users on Reddit shared their outrage at the incident, with one poster saying that it’s just “common sense to not damage sites like that.”

Comment
byu/thoxo from discussion
iniamatotalpieceofshit

Another commenter implored the Italian government to inflict the perpetrator with an even stricter fine in the hopes that it would deter others from committing similar acts of stupidity on ancient monuments.

Comment
byu/thoxo from discussion
iniamatotalpieceofshit

This is far from the first time an incident like this has occurred. In 2014, a Russian tourist was fined €20,000 for carving the letter “K” into a section of a heritage site’s brickwork. Two American women were later arrested in 2015 for the exact same reason.

It’s a shame that the tourist, whose name we can assume is Ivan, remained uncaught in the act. But hopefully, the video aids in the Italian government’s investigation into those who seek to deface ancient monuments with short- sighted expressions of love.

Keep On Reading

By Harriet Piercy

14 of the most bizarre beauty trends throughout history

By Charlie Sawyer

Why are family vloggers fleeing LA? TikTok theory links exodus to California’s new child labour laws

By Charlie Sawyer

Yung Filly’s legal troubles mount as the rapper faces two new sexual assault charges in Australia

By Charlie Sawyer

How influencer Liv Schmidt promotes toxic eating habits through the Skinni Société 

By Abby Amoakuh

Amandla Stenberg faces colourism backlash for role in Children of Blood and Bone

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Why do Gen Zers think KFC is using human meat? Unpacking the controversy behind the chain’s latest ad

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Beyoncé and Jay-Z consider legal action after Kanye West publicly attacks the couple’s children

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Everything you need to know about Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans’ love triangle in Materialists

By Charlie Sawyer

Blake Lively’s allegations against Justin Baldoni: Why perfect victim narratives must end

By Charlie Sawyer

Are Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler feuding? Rumours swirl following Oscars 2025

By Charlie Sawyer

Will Greta Thunberg reach Gaza safely amid Israel’s aid blockade?

By Abby Amoakuh

Zoë Kravitz is pushing for a revival of women of colour-led TV series High Fidelity, but Hulu isn’t budging

By Abby Amoakuh

Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow gives up restrictive diet to be strong instead of thin following backlash

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Keep vaping or your Tamagotchi dies. Introducing the latest vape invention in New York

By Charlie Sawyer

Why are people so upset about JoJo Siwa’s $900 Dream VIP package on her upcoming tour?

By Charlie Sawyer

Sabrina Carpenter accused of centering men on controversial album cover

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

From immigration to gender identity, Trump’s orders threaten an exclusionary future for the US

By Charlie Sawyer

Everything you need to know about toxic gossip site Tattle Life and how its founder finally got revealed

By Charlie Sawyer

The #MeToo movement is at risk. How the Harvey Weinstein retrial risks doing unimaginable damage 

By Alma Fabiani

How PUBG MOBILE’s Ptopia Design Project and World of Wonder are changing the game