Sending clients to Rome this summer? Well you may want to remind them to leave their pocket knives and spray paint at home.
The list of visitors to the Roman Colosseum, both bold and foolish enough to attempt to carve their name into the centuries-old walls, just got longer.
A tourist from Ecuador is facing a potentially hefty fine after being caught red-handed vandalizing the ancient arena.
The Associated Press reported the unidentified man has been cited by Italian authorities after a tour guide found him inscribing the names of his son and wife, along with the year 2017, on a wall inside of the Colosseum.
According to the AP, tourists found guilty of vandalizing the Colosseum in the recent past have received fines as steep as €20,000 or a little more than $28,000 CA.
Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi took to Twitter Tuesday to denounce the recent trend and discourage future visitors from committing similar acts of vandalism.
“Rome deserves respect. Who has hurt the Colosseum has hurt all Romans and everyone who loves the city,” Raggi tweeted.
It will now be up to a judge to determine the man’s punishment.
In 2014, a Russian tourist was arrested and fined €20,000 (nearly $28,000 CA at the time) for attempting to carve his initials into the historic landmark. And one year later, two California women were busted after taking selfies of initials they had carved into a wall of the Colosseum.
Earlier this year, a pair of Brazilian tourists sustained serious injuries when they fell almost 14 feet from an entry gate while trespassing at the Colosseum.
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