A 17-year-old Swiss girl has angered Italian tourists most recently by carving on the walls of the ancient Colosseum.
The Swiss girl is visiting Rome with her family and on Friday, July 14, Italian media reports have caught the public eye carving her initials.
He carved an ‘N’ into a brick column of the 1,937-year-old building and was filmed by Italian tour guide David Battaglino, who quickly alerted security staff at the amphitheater.
Battaglino said people were yelling at the girl and when she realized she had angered others, she shrugged and walked away.
He told Repubblica Roma: ‘It’s the first time I’ve seen an act of vandalism in the Colosseum, but in six years I’ve seen dozens, including people who tore down parts of the walls. They even spat on me once for scolding a boy.’
The Swiss girl is visiting Rome with her family and was caught carving her initials in the popular scene on Friday, July 14, according to Italian media reports.
He carved an ‘N’ into a brick column of the 1,937-year-old building and was filmed by Italian tour guide David Battaglino, who quickly alerted security staff at the amphitheater. Battaglino said people were yelling at the girl and when she realized she had angered others, she shrugged and walked away.
The tour guide was taking his tourist group through the scene when one of them pointed out the girl. He approached her and asked her in English if she wanted a round of applause for what she had done.
Battaglino eventually went to the girl’s parents to tell them that what their daughter had done was illegal, but they allegedly blew her off with a ‘gesture of disgust’.
He took a picture of the family and approached one of the security guards, who then called the police. When confronted, the parents said: ‘She’s just a little girl, she didn’t do anything wrong.’
The girl and her parents were taken to police headquarters in Rome’s Piazza Venezia for questioning, local media reported.
The girl’s act of vandalism carries a fine of up to £12,900 (15,000 euros) or two to five years in prison.
It comes weeks after a man was caught carving his and his girlfriend’s names into the ancient monument.
It comes weeks after a man was caught carving his and his girlfriend’s names into the ancient monument (pictured).
A visitor uses a set of keys to take a picture of the tourist carving the name into the stone wall of the 1,937-year-old building. According to the English-speaking person who recorded the footage, the incident happened last Friday, June 23
Ivan Dimitrov, 27, also known as Ivan Hawkins, was caught on camera by American holidaymaker Ryan Lutz as he carved the words ‘Ivan and Hayley 23’ into the brickwork with a key on June 23.
Bulgarian-born Ivan was in Rome last weekend with his long-term girlfriend Hayley Bracey, 33, and officials were outraged by the unspeakable vandalism and vowed to track down the culprit.
MailOnline has established that Evan, who is originally from Lovech, Bristol, works as a fitness coach but also has a job as a delivery driver.
Hayley is thought to run her own sports nutrition business and the couple live together in the suburb of Keynsham, away from the Longwell Green gym where Evan coaches.
The couple, who live in Bristol – were in the Italian capital Rome as part of a three-week European tour – and were located by police in Bulgaria on Friday after they were identified through CCTV footage and hotel records.
Major Roberto Martina, of the Carabinieri paramilitary police, told MailOnline: ‘Colleagues have spoken to the man and he has expressed forgiveness and sincere remorse for what he has done.
‘He contacted us after we secured his mobile telephone from the hotel records and left a message to call us. He was naturally worried about the legal implications and all this was explained to him.
‘We told him that a report would be sent to his address in the UK and then the matter would proceed to trial, probably early next year and he would be able to apologize in person in court there.
‘We didn’t ask him why he did it, that will be for the judge to hear, we just told him he was a suspect and part of the investigation. The girl is not part of any charges so an innocent party as far as we are concerned, though technically, she can be seen as an accessory.
‘But again, the prosecutor will make a decision after we finish our investigation which shouldn’t take too long because the key evidence is the original video of the incident.
‘He told us he was very upset about what he had done, and he apologized for it, I think he was worried about the consequences of any prosecution and we explained that he could be jailed for between two and five years and fined. can to 15,000 euros.’
It looks like he carved ‘Evan + Hailey 23’ on the walls of the Colosseum
Ivan Dimitrov (left) was in Rome with his long-term girlfriend Hayley Bracey (right) when he saw the ‘Ivan & Hayley 23’ engraving at the 2,000-year-old Colosseum in the Italian capital
In what officials described as a ‘surreal’ letter to Rome’s mayor, police and Colosseum authorities, Dimitrov apologized for what he had done, revealing his ignorance in the process.
He wrote: ‘Aware of the seriousness of the work undertaken, along these lines, I would like to offer my most sincere and honest apology to the Italians and to the whole world for the loss of a resource which is truly heritage. of all humanity.
‘I admit with deep embarrassment that I learned about the antiquity of the monument only after what tragically happened.
‘With dedication, care and sacrifice the Council protects the invaluable historical and artistic value of the Colosseum.’
But a Rome City Council official said: ‘What nonsense and what a surreal letter. What level of education does this man not know the significance of the Colosseum?
‘It’s just an attempt to calm down – and if he was so concerned, why did it take almost two weeks to write? Why did he apologize sooner? He must know what he did because it was all over the world’s media.
‘We intend to pursue this through the legal system with the Colosseum authorities and hope to see an appropriate punishment when it comes to court.’
The incident is still being investigated by Italian police.
In the video, the English-speaking man captured the footage and said to another: ‘Are you serious man? That is man. Stupid a ******e.’ Other users were quick to comment sharing their outrage and speculated that ‘Hayley’ was the man’s girlfriend
This is not the first time tourists have been fined for vandalizing what is believed to be the world’s largest amphitheater.
In 2020, an Irish tourist was arrested for allegedly carving his initials into the Colosseum.
Carabinieri police said a 32-year-old man was caught by private security at the Colosseum and immediately reported to officers.
In 2015, two American tourists were arrested for carving initials into the Colosseum. Before they were spotted, the women, aged 21 and 25, managed to carve a J and an N into a brick wall on the first floor of the west side of the Colosseum.
The man’s two initials, about 2 inches high, were reportedly carved with a metal point on a pillar on the first floor in September 2020.
The man, who has not been named, has been charged with damaging historical and artistic landmarks.
Fines start at £1750 (€2,065), while a sentence can be up to one year in prison.
Federica Rinaldi, the archaeologist responsible for the ancient Roman amphitheatre, said those who inscribed their initials on the monument wanted to ‘appropriate’ it.
He added: ‘The Colosseum, like any monument representing the history of all of us, must be preserved and passed on to future generations.’
The Colosseum, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, is a World Heritage Site.
It is along with 54 other Italian sites that form the historic center of the city.
In January 2017, the Colosseum was vandalized with black spray paint, officials said.
The name ‘Balto’ and the word ‘Morte’ (Death) were sprayed on the pillars overnight.
In 2014, a Russian tourist was fined £17,000 (€20,000) for carving the letter ‘K’ into a piece of brick.
In January 2017, the Colosseum was vandalized with black spray paint, officials said
On the same day, authorities arrested two Brazilian men trying to climb through a gate at the Colosseum after they fell 13 feet (four meters), one breaking his hip.
CCTV was studied to see if they were responsible for the graffiti.
Francesco Prosperetti, special superintendent of the Colosseum, said: ‘We are concerned that it could become a game and people could start competing with it.’
In 2015, two American tourists were arrested for carving initials into the Colosseum.
Before they were spotted, the women, aged 21 and 25, managed to carve a J and an N into a brick wall on the first floor of the west side of the Colosseum.
After carving the 8-inch high letters, the ladies posed together for a selfie.
Only two women, of the six million tourists who flock to the Colosseum each year, used a coin to carve the letters, La Stampa reported.
They reportedly became separated from their tour group – but other tourists saw what happened and alerted security.
According to the Republica, the police charged ‘more damage to buildings of historical and artistic interest’.
After they were caught, the women apologized to the Piazza Dante police and Captain Lorenzo Iacobone.
They said: ‘We apologize for what we did. We are sorry for this but we did not imagine it was something so serious. We will remember for the rest of our lives.’
According to The Guardian, the damaged section dates back to the 1800s – a key period in the restoration.
A spokesman for Rome’s Special Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage said: ‘It is not a real wall but it is ancient.’
In 2014, a Russian tourist was fined £17,000 (€20,000) for carving the letter ‘K’ into a piece of brickwork.
Construction of the Colosseum began between 70 and 72CE and seated approximately 50,000 spectators.
They came to see dangerous animals including gladiators and lions fighting each other.
Other tourists have repeatedly caused chaos in Rome, such as in 2018, when two British tourists posed for photos in a fountain at one of Rome’s most famous monuments.
A Brit is seen stripping to his underwear as two men splash in the water at the foot of the Altare della Patria in the Italian capital.
Others filmed as the men smiled and playfully flexed their muscles in front of surprised tourists.
A tour guide captured their actions on camera at the landmark – a monument to the war dead originally built in honor of Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of a unified Italy.
A Brit is seen stripping down to his underwear as two men splash in the water at the foot of the Altare della Patria in the Italian capital
Other tourists have repeatedly caused chaos in Rome, such as in 2018, when two British tourists posed for photos in a fountain at one of Rome’s most famous monuments.
In the footage, the two men – reported by local media to be British – can be seen posing for photographs in a fountain wearing only their briefs.
Several people stand by the wall, dipping their feet in the water and taking pictures.
One of the men then pulls down his underwear and hides his genitals between his legs to pose naked for the photo. Countless visitors walk past Britain as they continue to misbehave.
The footage sparked outrage on social media. An Italian wrote online: ‘B***** of English boys, always playing sports and looking for attention.’
Local media said at the time that it was another attack on Italian tradition.
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