Italy’s culture minister insists that a tourist filmed carving his and his girlfriend’s names into Rome’s historic Colosseum must be “identified and sanctioned”.
Gennaro Sangiuliano described the man’s actions as “unworthy and a sign of great incivility” as he called for him to be traced following the incident that prompted outrage in Italy.
Footage appeared online of the tourist, dressed in a blue T-shirt and carrying a black rucksack, using a set of keys to make his mark in the building, which is almost 2,000 years old.
With his girlfriend by his side, he inscribed “Ivan + Hayley 23” before turning and smiling at the camera.
Sky News reports that someone can be heard saying: “Serious, man? F***** up, man. Stupid a*******.”
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Mr Sangiuliano said on Twitter: “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 fiancee.
“I hope that whoever did this will be identified and sanctioned according to our laws.”
Sky reports Italian news agency ANSA as saying that should the offender be caught, he faces a €15,000 (£12,875) fine and be sent to prison.
It added that in 2015, two tourists from California were accused of carving their initials into the Colosseum using a coin.
Afterwards the pair, reported to be 21 and 25, took a selfie before they were briefly held by Rome’s police and questioned.
A year previously, a Russian tourist was fined for engraving the letter K in the Colosseum, which is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built and the largest standing amphitheatre in the world.