An international uproar has been ignited after a tourist was recorded appearing to deface Rome's beloved Colosseum.
Footage of the culprit etching the name of his supposed significant other into the historic walls has spread like wildfire across social media, inciting shock and anger among viewers.
Italian Culture Minister, Gennaro Sangiuliano, shared the viral video of the act on his personal Twitter account, expressing hope that the vandal would be "identified and sanctioned according to our laws."
Expressing deep dismay, Sangiuliano condemned the act, stating (translated by CBS News): "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."
The footage, captured by a fellow bystander, shows a smiling man sporting a backpack allegedly using his keys to engrave "Ivan+Haley 23" onto the walls of the 2000-year-old Roman monument, also known as the Flavian Amphitheater.
The culprit's actions prompted disbelief from the bystander recording the video, who can be heard in the YouTube video titled: "A**hole tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome 6-23-23", as they say: "Are you f**ing serious, man?"
The individual who recorded and shared the video later revealed in a comment that he had reported the individual and "pointed him out to staff".
In the comment section of the video, social media users were also quick to criticize the supposed actions, with one person writing: "Absolutely despicable behavior and I hope they get fined for it or worse. The cheeky smile at the end shows he CLEARLY knew what he was doing was wrong. This is what entitlement looks like."
A second agreed, writing: "There's an epidemic of entitlement in the world today."
And a third commented: "This is disgusting. We don’t need these kind of tourists in Europe. He should be tracked down no matter the cost and extradited to Italy and dealt with in the court. His partner should be prosecuted."
The identity of the alleged vandal remains unknown. If identified by police, the defacer could face hefty fines upwards of $16,000 and potentially a prison sentence of up to five years, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
Echoing Sangiuliano's sentiments, Italy's Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanche, has expressed her hopes for the man to face stern punishment "so that he understands the gravity of the gesture."
She added, as quoted by the Associated Press: "We cannot allow those who visit our nation to feel free to behave in this way," underscoring the gravity of respecting Italy's treasured historical sites.
