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Anger in Italy as another tourist caught carving initials into Rome’s Colosseum

A 17-year-old German tourist was reportedly the latest to be caught defacing the Colosseum in Rome on Saturday, following a spate of acts of vandalism at the ancient site this summer.

Published: 17 July 2023 12:42 CEST
Anger in Italy as another tourist caught carving initials into Rome’s Colosseum
A group of tourists passes a wall carved with names inside Rome’s Colosseum. Graffiti and vandalism by visitors is a regular occurrence at the ancient site. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)

The German boy was caught on surveillance cameras and reported to police for allegedly damaging brickwork on the Unesco Heritage Site’s ground floor.

He could now face criminal charges alongside other tourists who have been reported to police for defacing the ancient structure in recent weeks.

Just one day earlier, on Friday, a Swiss teenager was filmed carving the letter ‘N’ into the wall of the monument.

The 17-year-old, on holiday with her parents, was spotted defacing the inner wall by an Italian tour guide who reported her to Colosseum staff and the police.

READ ALSO: What punishments do tourists face if they damage Italian monuments?

“It’s the first time I’ve managed to film an act of vandalism at the Colosseum but in six years I’ve seen dozens of them, as well as those also who detach parts of the wall,” the tour guide told newspaper La Repubblica.

The tourist has not been named, but the tour guide’s video clip was shared online by Italian news agency Ansa.

The video appears to show the teenager, whose face has been blurred, using an object to carve into the historic structure’s brick walls.

The tour guide said that, when he informed the teenager’s parents that what she had done was illegal, they said: “She’s just a little girl, she wasn’t doing anything wrong.”

The family were taken to police headquarters in Rome’s Piazza Venezia, La Repubblica reported.

The incident comes less than a month after another tourist made headlines worldwide when a viral video showed him carving “Ivan+Hayley 23” into a wall at the Colosseum.

The man, identified as a 27-year-old Bulgarian fitness coach living in the UK, was tracked down by police and could now be charged.

He begged for forgiveness in a letter to Rome’s mayor, in which he offered his “most heartfelt apologies to Italians and to the whole world” – and claimed he didn’t realise the 1st century AD monument was ancient.

Anyone found guilty of causing damage to a site of historical and artistic interest in Italy can face a fine of up to €15,000 and even a prison sentence of up to five years.

And these penalties may soon become harsher, as ministers in April approved plans to increase the maximum fines for defacing cultural property to €40,000, while anyone damaging or destroying monuments could be fined up to €60,000.

Potential prison sentences would also increase to a maximum of seven years under the plans.

Every summer, Italian media is filled with reports of tourists vandalising or even stealing pieces of the Colosseum and other ancient monuments in Italy.

Meanwhile, countless people every year face fines of hundreds of euros after taking a dip Rome’s fountains, which is strictly prohibited – no matter how hot the weather gets.

Member comments

  1. “…by police and could now be charged.” Therein lies the problem, “could” be charged, there should be no if and buts, it should be “will be charged”. As long as Italy doesn’t start fining people a massive amount of money for defacing monuments, they will always have a problem with these idiots.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Labour Day: What’s open and what’s closed in Italy on May 1st 2024

Wednesday, May 1st will mark Italy’s Labour Day. But how will shops, transport services and museums be affected by the public holiday?

Published: 26 April 2024 15:33 CEST
Labour Day: What's open and what's closed in Italy on May 1st 2024

First established back in 1890 to celebrate workers’ rights and the achievements made by Italian trade unions, Labour Day (or Festa del Lavoro) is a national public holiday in Italy, meaning a day off for many around the country.

Generally speaking, much of Italy tends to grind to a halt on public holidays and Labour Day is no exception as some services will be significantly limited or, at times, even unavailable on the day.  

But what exactly can you expect to find open, or closed, next Wednesday?

Public transport 

Most local public transport companies in the country will operate on a reduced timetable (also known as orari festivi) on May 1st, with the quality and frequency of services during the day likely to vary significantly between rural and urban areas, as well as between cities.

Areas that are usually served by just the occasional bus may see stripped-to-the-bone services on Wednesday, whereas parts of the country that already have robust public transport networks should keep them fairly active.  

Having said that, Labour Day transport services in both urban and rural areas may experience delays and/or cancellations this year due to a 24-hour general strike involving staff from public and private operators around the country.

There’s currently little information available as to exactly how the walkout will affect travel on Wednesday and what level of disruption passengers can expect, though further details are expected to become available closer to the date of the walkout. 

You can keep up with all the latest updates in our strike news section. 

Rail and air travel

Much like public transport services, regional and local trains will run on fairly reduced timetables on Wednesday, whereas most interregional and long-distance high-speed trains will run on standard weekday timetables. 

However, the normal operation of these services may be affected by the above-mentioned 24-hour general strike. 

As for air travel, inbound and outbound flights shouldn’t be affected by the strike, according to the latest reports. 

Schools and offices

Public schools in all Italian regions will be closed on May 1st. 

Pupils in Molise and Liguria will enjoy a longer break as they’ll be home from school on Monday, April 29th and Tuesday, April 30th as well.

As it’s usually the case on national public holidays, offices in both the public and private sector (this includes banks, post offices, town hall desks and CAF fiscal assistance centres) will be closed. 

Tourist attractions

Most state-run museums and archaeological sites, including Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia and Rome’s Colosseum, will be open on Wednesday, though some may have slightly reduced hours, which is why it’s advisable to check the opening times in advance if you have a specific site you want to visit in mind. 

Privately run museums, galleries or collections may be closed on the day.

Pasticcerie, panifici and restaurants

Some panifici (bakeries) and pasticcerie (pastry shops) in major cities may remain open on Wednesday morning to allow customers to buy bread and sweets for their Labour Day lunch.  

Many restaurants will remain open on Labour Day to welcome the families who choose to dine out for the holiday. But if you’re planning on eating out on that day, it’s advisable to make a reservation in advance to avoid any unpleasant surprises later on.

Shops and supermarkets

Many supermarket chains around the country will have limited opening hours on Wednesday. For instance, some may open around 9 in the morning and then close in the early afternoon.

Most mini-markets will remain completely closed instead. 

Most shops in non-urban areas will be closed on Wednesday, whereas businesses in big cities around the country may open for either the morning only or the afternoon only.

Doctors and pharmacies

GPs’ clinics will be closed on Wednesday. 

However, should you be in need of an urgent appointment, you can ask to see a doctor from Italy’s Guardia Medica, a medical care centre that operates outside of GPs’ normal working hours and on weekends, or visit your local hospital’s ER (pronto soccorso).

Should you need to buy medicines or pick up a prescription, pharmacies in Italy operate a rota system during national holidays to ensure that at least one is open in each area. 

To find the nearest one, Google farmacia di turno plus the name of the municipality (or comune) you find yourself in.

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