WATCH Vandalism in name of love: Italy outraged as tourist defaces Rome’s Colosseum with fiancee's name

A man was filmed allegedly carving his and his fiancee’s names into the Colosseum in Rome. The viral video has sparked outrage in Italy. Gennaro Sangiuliano, Minister of Culture of Italy, tweeted, “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. I hope that whoever did this will be identified and sanctioned according to our laws.”

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. pic.twitter.com/p8Jss1GWuY

— Gennaro Sangiuliano (@g_sangiuliano) June 26, 2023

In the viral clip, the young man can be seen using keys to carve letters into one of the walls of the nearly 2,000-year-old amphitheatre. CNN quoted the Italian news agency ANSA saying, “The inscription read Ivan+Haley 23.” The alleged incident took place on Friday, and authorities were informed by social media recordings, according to ANSA. The man could face a punishment of at least EU 15,000 (USD 16,360) or up to five years in jail. In 2020, according to CNN, an Irish visitor was accused of vandalisingvandalizingeum after security guards noticed him apparently scratching his initials into the ancient building and reported him to the police. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.