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A 37-year-old British tourist faces a hefty fine from the Italian authorities after carving his family's initials onto a wall in Pompeii.
The unnamed man was caught by staff leaving his mark on the House of the Vestals – a Unesco World Heritage Site – and reported to the public prosecutor’s office in Torre Annunziata.
Photographs show the initials ‘JW’, ‘LMW’ and ‘MW’, believed to correspond with his daughters’ names, scratched next to the date (7 August 2024) and the word ‘Mylaw’.
Buildings in Pompeii, south of Naples, were preserved in volcanic ash after the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD, and the site attracts millions of tourists visiting Italy each year. The defaced House of the Vestals was once used as a residence for officials of the imperial court.
The man reportedly apologised to the local authorities and said that he wanted to leave a sign of his family’s visit to the Roman ruins as an explanation for his actions.
In January, the Italian culture ministry approved tougher fines for offenders caught damaging sites of historical and cultural significance.
Penalties now range from €15,000 to €60,000 (£13,000 to £51,000) for any defaced monuments to be cleaned and repaired.
If the man refuses to pay the restoration costs, he could face a prison sentence.
The threat of fines does not always deter vandals, and it’s not the first time a Brit has engraved their name on a historical Italian site.
Last June, a UK-based tourist triggered widespread outrage for carving his girlfriend’s initials into the Colosseum.
Ivan Dimitrov, who lives in Bristol, was caught by a furious tourist engraving his and Hayley Bracey’s letters into the 2,000-year-old Rome structure.
Footage of the incident soon went viral and Italy’s Carabinieri tracked the pair down in Bulgaria.
The fitness instructor faced up to five years in prison and a €15,000 fine after being filmed defacing the amphitheatre of world-historical importance.
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