In June, one of the tourists scrawled his name and the name of his bride on the wall of the Roman Colosseum. His identity was established and now he faces a heavy fine. To avoid severe punishment, the tourist wrote a letter to the mayor of Rome.
Ivan Dimitrov, who lives in Bristol, wrote a letter of apology to the mayor of Rome, where he says, among other things, that he is aware of the seriousness of his act.
The incident happened at the end of June when Ivan scrawled “Ivan + Hayley 23” on the wall of the Colosseum. The police found out about this through social networks, where several people posted a video of Ivan’s act. We wrote more about this story HERE.
In his letter to the mayor of Rome, Dimitrov apologizes to “all Italians and the whole world”, admitting that he only learned about the age of the Colosseum after the deed had already been done. He promises to take responsibility and make amends.
If Ivan is found guilty, he faces a fine of up to 15,000 euros and a prison sentence of two to five years.
Dimitrov’s lawyer, Alessandro Maria Tirelli, said his client’s letter of apology should probably help avoid the harshest punishment.
The Colosseum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Italian Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano called Dimitrov’s act “an insult to everyone who appreciates the value of archeology, architectural monuments and history.”
Reputo gravissimo, indegno e segno di grande inciviltà, che un turista sfregi uno dei luoghi più celebri al mondo, il Colosseo, per incidere il nome della sua fidanzata. Spero che chi ha compiuto questo gesto venga individuato e sanzionato secondo le nostre leggi. pic.twitter.com/p8Jss1GWuY
— Gennaro Sangiuliano (@g_sangiuliano) June 26, 2023