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TOURISM

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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TOURISM

8 essential tips to avoid falling victim to a holiday rental scam in Italy

From phishing links to bogus listings, you'll want to be savvy about the holiday rental scams to avoid if you're vacationing in Italy this summer.

Published: 4 July 2024 09:12 CEST
8 essential tips to avoid falling victim to a holiday rental scam in Italy

As Italy’s summer holiday season gets underway, numerous vacationers are starting to book their accommodation – and online scammers are on the prowl.

While most official booking sites have mechanisms in place to minimise fraud, direct bookings with a property’s owner are more susceptible to scams.

Online fraud attempts grew by six percent in Italy between 2022 and 2023, according to Italy’s state police, while the amount of money stolen increased by as much as 20 percent, from €114 million to €137 million.

“In recent years, we have seen a steady increase in online financial crimes; in 2023 alone the Postal Police handled more than 16,000 cases, including those related to the booking of holiday homes, packages and travel tickets,” said Massimo Bruno, director of the Italian postal police force’s financial cybercrimes division.

“Although most of the scams take place outside of travel booking platforms, there is significant exposure in this area as well, especially during peak holiday planning periods.”

READ ALSO: Flights, hotels, beaches: How the cost of travel to Italy is rising this summer

With this in mind, Italy’s state police and holiday booking giant Airbnb have teamed up to release an eight-step guide to avoid falling victim to an Italian holiday rental scam.

1. Double check the website address

A common trick among scammers is to use a website address that looks very similar to the one used by well-known, reputable companies. If you receive a message out of the blue from what appears to be a legitimate sender, double check that the url is correct, and ideally only communicate through an official website or app.

2. Avoid clicking on unknown links

Similarly, if you receive an email or social media message that contains external links from what appears to be a well-known company, it’s advisable to avoid clicking and instead log in to your account through the official website or app to see if you’ve received the same message there.

3. Be wary of very cheap offers and deposit requests

If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Check the listing carefully for any red flags; if the owner seems in a particular rush to get paid a large deposit, that’s probably a bad sign.

4. Never pay by bank transfer

Official booking sites will only allow you to pay via debit or credit card; but if you’re making a private arrangement with an individual owner, they may ask for a bank transfer.

READ ALSO: Why Italy’s beaches are getting harder (and more expensive) to access

“If you are asked to pay for a trip by bank transfer, cryptocurrency or gift cards, it is very likely a scam,” say police.

5. Book, pay and communicate via an official platform

Though it might be tempting to take a host up on their offer of a discount if you take a booking private, it’s safest to stick with the platform through which you initially made contact – at least on your first stay.

Official booking sites offer insurance and other guarantees that you’ll be able to take advantage of if things go south.

6. Check reviews

All holiday rental owners have to start somewhere, but if you want to play things safe, make sure a listing has at least a few (positive) reviews. Read these thoroughly to see what guests have said in the past.

7. Communicate clearly with the host

Make sure you’ve confirmed all the important practical arrangements with the host before you leave (ideally all through an official platform, so there’s a trail). If they suddenly go silent on you, contact the platform’s customer service team.

8. Report suspicious behaviour

If a listing on an official booking platform seems like a scam to you, flag it through the company’s official channels. If you’ve already made a payment off-platform, let their customer service team know asap.

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