Tourist etching girlfriend's name into Colosseum draws outrage

ROME: A tourist etching his girlfriend's name into the Colosseum in Rome provoked outrage on social media and from Italy's culture minister on Monday after a clip of the act went viral, reported German news agency.

"It's extremely disgraceful and a sign of great lack of culture that a tourist defaces one of the most famous places in the world, a piece of historical heritage," Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said.

Sangiuliano expressed the hope that the culprit would be found and punished.

Some years ago, a Russian tourist was hit with a fine of EUR20,000 (US$21,800) for a similar act. Italian media reports suggested that the unknown etcher could face a similar fine if caught.

Built in the first century AD, the Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre in the world, a Roman landmark and a major tourist attraction. In its heyday, it hosted gladiatorial combat and other spectacles, many of them brutal.

It draws one million visitors each year.

-- BERNAMA