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 J'Nae Phillips

Well-read, intelligent, and nonchalant: The rise of the lit girl aesthetic on TikTok

By Charlie Sawyer

Did the Daily Mail shut down the TikTok parody account History Mail?

By Joe Pettit

Why the internet made a CEO’s killer its new sex symbol

By Charlie Sawyer

UK doctors and nurses accused of sexual assault and rape still practicing, new data reveals

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

P&O Cruises under fire after staff caught on film wearing KKK-like costumes at Christmas party

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Why content creators are warning against SHEIN’s new line of adult toys

By Abby Amoakuh

Sweden’s plans for an underage social media ban to curb gang violence could inspire EU to do the same

By Charlie Sawyer

Is JoJo Siwa Polish? Karma singer hints at representing Poland at Eurovision contest in 2025

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Is Melania Trump’s pro-choice memoir a plot to boost Donald Trump’s 2024 election bid?

By Charlie Sawyer

Disturbing signs reading HELP in Los Angeles go viral on X. What do we know so far?

By Charlie Sawyer

Man, 81, sentenced to 6 months in prison for trying to create giant hybrid species of wild sheep

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Unmasking exploitation in Africa: My undercover journey into Kenya’s Chinese seafood factories

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

ShxtsNGigs face major backlash: When will comedians stop targeting Black women for cheap laughs?

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Mark Zuckerberg criticised as Meta allegedly censors abortion pill providers, raising Trump alliance fears

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Logan Paul trolling the BBC with a lookalike amid cryptocurrency scandal is so on brand

By Charlie Sawyer

LGBTQIA+ crisis helplines report record calls from queer youth following Donald Trump’s win

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Who is Noor Alfallah, the woman with geriatric rizz dating Hollywood’s most famous grandpas?

By Charlie Sawyer

Flo Health achieves unicorn status, but is a male-led team fit for femtech?

By Abby Amoakuh

Iraq legalises child marriage following proposal to lower age of consent to nine