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What happened to the tourist accused of carving his name into Rome Colosseum wall?

Ivan dimitrov, a 27-year-old fitness instructor living in bristol, faces up to five years in prison and a €15,000 fine after being filmed defacing 2,000-year-old amphitheatre of world historical importance, article bookmarked.

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The British tourist who attracted outrage in Rome after being accused of carving his name into the Colosseum walls with a key is facing up to five years in prison and a €15,000 (£12,850) fine .

The man – identified as Ivan Dimitrov , a 27-year-old fitness instructor and delivery driver resident in Bristol but originally from Bulgaria – was visiting Italy’s Eternal City with his girlfriend Hayley Bracey when he was filmed scratching “Ivan + Hayley 23” into the ancient stone walls of the 2,000-year-old amphitheatre.

The venue, a protected Unesco World Heritage site , was constructed during the reigns of the emperors Vespasian and Titus in the first century AD. It attracted the Roman public to see spectacular gladiatorial bouts, historical reenactments and parades of exotic wild animals imported from Africa and the Middle East, including elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, lions, leopards, panthers and ostriches.

The act of vandalism was caught on camera by another visitor, Californian Ryan Lutz, who was incensed by the incident and asked “Are you serious, man?”. He then uploaded the footage to YouTube under the title “A****** tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome”, where it promptly went viral.

The Italian Carabinieri responded to the video and quickly identified Mr Dimitrov as their suspect, with Major Roberto Martina telling the media he had expressed “sincere remorse” for his actions when confronted.

• British tourist who carved name into Colosseum begs for forgiveness
• Tourist accused of vandalising Colosseum in Rome could face trial and up to five years in prison
• Tourist who carved name into Rome’s Colosseum ‘is British fitness trainer’

“He told us he was very upset by what he had done, and he kept apologising for it,” Major Martina told Mail Online .

“I think he was worried about the consequences of any trial and we explained that he could be jailed for between two and five years and be fined up to €15,000,” he said.

The major went on to say he believed the case would be reasonably straightforward to prosecute because of the video evidence.

“He had contacted us after we secured his mobile telephone from hotel records and left a message for him to call us,” Major Martina said of the Carabineri’s investigation.

“He was naturally worried about the legal implications, and these were all explained to him.

“We didn’t ask him why he did it, that will be for a judge to hear, we just told him that he was a suspect and was part of the investigation.”

The officer added that Ms Bracey “is not part of any complaint so is an innocent party as far as we are concerned”, adding: “Although technically, she could be seen as an accessory.”

Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano thanked the police for identifying the suspect of the “uncivilised and absurd act committed at the Colosseum”.

“It was an act that offended those around the world who appreciate the value of archaeology, monuments and history,” he said.

“Now I hope justice will take its course by rigorously applying the laws.”

This is not the first such incident at the Colosseum.

A Russian tourist was given a suspended four-year jail sentence and fined €20,000 (£17,000) in 2014 for engraving a “K” on its walls.

The following year, two American tourists were also cited for aggravated damage after they likewise carved their names into its stones.

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American who filmed tourist carving name in Colosseum dumbfounded as hunt for culprit intensifies

Visitors take photos of the Ancient Colosseum, in Rome, Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Italy’s culture and tourism ministers Gennaro Sangiuliano vowed to find and punish a tourist who was filmed carving his name and his girlfriend’s name in the wall of the Colosseum, a crime that in the past has resulted in hefty fines. Video of the incident went viral on social media, at a time when Romans have already been complaining about hordes of tourists returning to peak season travel this year. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Visitors walk past the Colosseum, in Rome, Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Italy’s culture and tourism ministers Gennaro Sangiuliano vowed to find and punish a tourist who was filmed carving his name and his girlfriend’s name in the wall of the Colosseum, a crime that in the past has resulted in hefty fines. Video of the incident went viral on social media, at a time when Romans have already been complaining about hordes of tourists returning to peak season travel this year. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Visitors stand in a line to enter the ancient Colosseum, in Rome, Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Italy’s culture and tourism ministers Gennaro Sangiuliano vowed to find and punish a tourist who was filmed carving his name and his girlfriend’s name in the wall of the Colosseum, a crime that in the past has resulted in hefty fines. Video of the incident went viral on social media, at a time when Romans have already been complaining about hordes of tourists returning to peak season travel this year. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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ROME (AP) — Italy’s culture and tourism ministers have vowed to find and punish a tourist who was filmed carving his name and that of his apparent girlfriend in the wall of the Colosseum in Rome , a crime that resulted in hefty fines in the past.

The message reading “Ivan+Haley 23” appeared on the Colosseum at a time when Romans already were complaining about hordes of tourists flooding the Eternal City in record numbers this season. A fellow tourist, Ryan Lutz, of Orange, California., filmed the incident and posted the video on YouTube and Reddit.

The video received over 1,500 social media views and was picked up by Italian media. Lutz told The Associated Press on Tuesday he was “dumbfounded” that someone would deface such an important monument.

Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano called the writing carved into the almost 2,000-year-old Flavian Ampitheater “serious, undignified and a sign of great incivility.” He said he hoped the culprits would be found “and punished according to our laws.”

Italian news agency ANSA noted that the incident marked the fourth time this year that such graffiti was reported at the Colosseum . It said whoever was responsible for the latest episode risked $15,000 in fines and up to five years in prison.

Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche said she hoped the tourist would be sanctioned “so that he understands the gravity of the gesture.” Calling for respect for Italy’s culture and history , she vowed: “We cannot allow those who visit our nation to feel free to behave in this way.”

Lutz, who is on a two-month backpacking trip through Europe, said he had just finished a guided tour of the Colosseum on Friday when he saw the person “blatantly carving his name” in the Colosseum wall. Lutz told the AP he took out his phone to film the man because he was so shocked at what he was doing.

“And as you see in the video, I kind of approach him and ask him, dumbfounded at this point, ‘Are you serious? Are you really serious?’” Lutz recalled. “And all he could do is like smile at me.”

Lutz, a recent graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, said he tried to get a guard to take action, but neither the guard nor his supervisor did anything, even after Lutz identified the man and offered to share the video.

He said he decided to post the video online the following morning, after he had calmed down. While saying he appreciates graffiti and art, “carving your name seems like a pretty selfish act.” He said visitors to foreign countries cannot repay their hosts “with blatant disrespect like this.”

Outside the Colosseum on Tuesday, other visitors agreed.

“We have to preserve what we have,” said Diego Cruz, an American student. “There is a rich history here. It helps us learn from the past.

Güldamla Ozsema, a computer engineer visiting from Turkey, said his country also had difficulty protecting its monuments from disrespectful tourists.

“I really get angry with them, with this behavior,” Ozsema said.

Italian tourism lobby Federturismo, backed by statistics bureau ISTAT, has said 2023 is shaping up as a record for visitors to Italy, surpassing pre-pandemic levels that hit a high in 2019.

In 2014, a Russian tourist was fined 20,000 euros ($25,000) and received a four-year suspended jail sentence for engraving a big letter ‘K’ on a wall of the Colosseum.

The following year, two American tourists were also cited for aggravated damage after they carved their names in the monument.

Associated Press journalist Nicole Winfield contributed to this report.

This version corrects the last name of the American who filmed the incident to Lutz, not Litz.

British tourist who vandalised the Colosseum apologises and says he didn't realise how old it was

• Thursday 6 July 2023 at 7:43pm

A tourist, who was filmed etching his and his girlfriend's name into the Colosseum, has apologised to the Mayor of Rome and claimed he did not realise how old the historic site was.

On June 27, a video showing a man using his keys to carve "Ivan+Hayley 23" into the amphitheatre went viral.

Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano called the act “undignified and a sign of great incivility.”

He said he hoped the culprits would be found “and punished according to our laws”.

Around two weeks after the incident, the alleged vandal - Ivan Dimitrov from Bristol - has written a letter of apology to the authorities.

In the letter, published by Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, the man writes: "I admit with profound embarrassment that only after what regretfully happened did I learn of the antiquity of the monument".

He added: "I wish to address my most heartfelt and honest apologies to the Italians and to the whole world for the damage caused to an asset which, in fact, is the heritage of all humanity".

He also praised those who "guard the inestimable historical and artistic value of the Colosseum with dedication, care and sacrifice". The incident was the fourth time this year that this type of graffiti was reported at the Colosseum.

Punishment for the act includes fines of up to £11,790 and five years in prison.

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Who Knew the Colosseum Was So Old? Tourist Apologizes for Defacement.

A man who etched his initials and those of his girlfriend in a wall of the nearly 2,000-year-old monument wrote a letter of apology, and his lawyer says he is hoping for a plea bargain.

By Elisabetta Povoledo

A man seen on video last month using his keys to etch his love for his girlfriend on a wall in the Colosseum in Rome has written a letter of apology, saying he had no idea the nearly 2,000-year-old monument was so ancient.

“I admit with deepest embarrassment that it was only after what regrettably happened that I learned of the monument’s antiquity,” the man — identified by his lawyer as Ivan Danailov Dimitrov, 27 — wrote in a letter dated July 4 and addressed to the Rome prosecutor’s office, the mayor of Rome and “the municipality of Rome.”

Portions of the letter were first published on Wednesday in the Rome daily newspaper Il Messaggero.

In it, Mr. Dimitrov acknowledged the “seriousness of the deed I committed,” and offered his “heartfelt and sincere apologies to Italians and the entire world for the damage done to a monument, which is, in fact, heritage of all humanity.” Mr. Dimitrov offered to “sincerely and concretely” right his wrong and redeem himself.

The carving came to light last month after a fellow tourist in Rome filmed a man scratching “Ivan + Hayley 23/6/23” into a brick on a wall of the Colosseum. The video went viral, and “Ivan,” whose identity was then not known, was widely rebuked for his devil-may-care attitude. Admonished — with an expletive — by the video-taker, Mr. Dimitrov carried on.

The brick that was defaced was actually part of a wall built during a mid-19th century restoration of the monument, which was inaugurated in the first century A.D. But that made little difference to Colosseum authorities who said that it didn’t change the fact that the act was vandalism.

Mr. Dimitrov was eventually identified by Italian military police officers who crosschecked the two lovers’ names with registered guests in Rome and found they had stayed in an Airbnb rental in the Cinecittà neighborhood. Roberto Martina, the police commander who oversaw the operation, said they tracked Mr. Dimitrov to England, where he and his girlfriend, who is not under investigation, live.

Italy is no stranger to unruly visitors leaving their mark. Three years ago, a spate of incidents prompted lawmakers to stiffen penalties for vandalizing Italy’s venerable cultural heritage. And the country wants to impose even tougher laws on climate activists, who have vandalized cultural property to protest what they call government inaction on climate change.

“It should be said that when foreign tourists come to Italy, from anywhere, not any particular nationality, there’s this idea that they’ve come to a country where everything is allowed, where they turn a blind eye, where it’s ‘that’s how it goes,’” said Alexandro Maria Tirelli, Mr. Dimitrov’s lawyer. But his client may get caught in the crackdown, risking between two and five years in prison and a fine up to 15,000 euros, about $16,300. Mr. Tirelli said he was hoping for a plea bargain that will allow his client to pay a fine but serve no jail time.

Mr. Dimitrov’s apology, the lawyer said, was an attempt to make clear “that he had pulled what he thought was a harmless stunt.”

Italian media on Wednesday pulled no punches. The letter of apology “defaced common sense,” Il Messaggero declared. Dagospia, a popular online website, suggested the letter only made things worse (Did he think the Colosseum was a fast-food restaurant, it asked?). A news anchor on the lunchtime news program of RAI 1, the main state channel, said the fact that Mr. Dimitrov hadn’t known that the monument was ancient “is really a somewhat unbelievable excuse.”

A spokesman for the Rome’s mayor office said that they had not received Mr. Dimitrov’s letter. The Rome prosecutor’s office declined to comment.

“I hope this apology will be accepted,” Mr. Dimitrov wrote in the letter.

An earlier version of this article misstated the age of Ivan Danailov Dimitrov. He is 27, not 31.

How we handle corrections

Elisabetta Povoledo is a reporter based in Rome and has been writing about Italy for more than three decades. More about Elisabetta Povoledo

Man filmed by O.C. tourist carving his name on Rome’s Colosseum was British visitor, police say

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The tourist filmed carving his name on Rome’s Colosseum by an Orange County man in a video that subsequently went viral was from Britain, Italian police say.

The act of vandalism was filmed by Ryan Lutz of Orange, who posted the video on social media after he said Colosseum guards failed to show interest in it.

Italian police said in a statement Thursday that they had used photographic comparisons to identify the man who carved his name and that of his apparent girlfriend on the ancient landmark last week. But beyond saying he was from Britain, the Carabinieri did not name the suspect or specify his whereabouts.

When reached by phone, police said no further information could be given.

Italian officials have vowed to find and punish the tourist who carved “Ivan+Haley 23” on the Colosseum’s wall , a crime that has resulted in hefty fines in the past.

It was at least the fourth time this year that such graffiti was reported at the Colosseum, an act that carries fines of up to $15,000 and five years in prison.

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May 18, 2023

Lutz, who is on a two-month backpacking trip through Europe, said he had just finished a guided tour of the Colosseum on June 23 when he saw the person “blatantly carving his name” in the Colosseum wall. Lutz told the Associated Press that he took out his phone to film the man because he was so shocked at what he was doing.

“And as you see in the video, I kind of approach him and ask him, dumbfounded at this point, ‘Are you serious? Are you really serious?’” Lutz recalled. “And all he could do is, like, smile at me.”

Lutz, a recent graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, said he tried to get a guard to take action, but neither the guard nor his supervisor did anything, even after Lutz identified the man and offered to share the video.

He said he decided to post the video online the following morning, after he had calmed down. Although Lutz says he appreciates graffiti and art, “carving your name seems like a pretty selfish act.” He said visitors to foreign countries cannot repay their hosts “with blatant disrespect like this.”

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Colosseum graffiti carver named as British tourist

A tourist from Britain who allegedly carved his and his girlfriend’s names into the Colosseum in Rome is likely to be hit with a significant fine by the Italian authorities.

The man who vandalised the 2,000-year-old gladiatorial arena is believed to be Ivan Dimitrov, who also goes by the name Ivan Hawkins.

The 27-year-old, who lives near Bristol, was filmed by an American tourist carving the words “Ivan and Hayley 23” into the Roman brickwork with a sharp instrument. The man could be seen turning and smiling even as the person filming him called him a “stupid asshole”.

Dimitrov, who was born in Bulgaria, was in Rome with Hayley Bracey, 33, on a tour of Europe while their house was being renovated by builders.

Police have vowed to track down the man in the video, who is thought to have left Italy. Punishments for defacing historical monuments include fines of up to €15,000 and a maximum of five years in prison.

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Roberto Martina, a caribineri official, told The Times that investigators had matched the first names scratched into the Colosseum wall to hotel registration records and discovered the couple had left Italy on July 26.

Officers said they had “identified through a traditional investigation and through comparing photographs, the person suspected of carving his name, and that of his girlfriend at the Colosseum”.

The police statement added: “The caribineri have established that they are a couple resident in the UK.”

The carabinieri will now seek to inform the couple they are under investigation. “There will be a trial which will likely result in them being sent a fine. It is doubtful they would be jailed,” a source on the investigation said.

Gennaro Sangiuliano, the Italian culture minister, said: “I am grateful to the carabinieri for having quickly identified the suspected perpetrator of this uncivilised and absurd act. This act has offended all those around the world who appreciate the value of archaeology, monuments and history. I now hope justice is done and the law is rigorously applied. If this goes to trial, the culture ministry will participate as a civil plaintiff.”

Dimitrov, who is originally from Lovech, northern Bulgaria, is a personal trainer in Bristol and also works as a delivery driver. Bracey runs a sports nutrition business and the pair live together in the suburb of Keynsham.

Bracey’s mother told MailOnline when questioned about the incident: “No, that can’t be right. She wouldn’t do anything like that. She’s on holiday in Italy. Ivan is her partner, and they are both away.”

The authorities in Rome are unforgiving with tourists who dive into fountains and climb or deface monuments, particularly the Colosseum, which attracts seven million visitors a year.

In 2014 a Russian tourist was fined for scratching a large letter “K” on a wall at Colosseum and since then American, German, Canadian, Israeli and Irish tourists have been caught carving their names in the brickwork.

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Italian police say the man filmed carving his name on the Colosseum lives in Britain

The Associated Press

Visitors stand in a line to enter the ancient Colosseum, in Rome, Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Italian police on Thursday, June 29, 2023, said they believe the person who was filmed while engraving his name on the ancient Roman Colosseum is a tourist who lives in Britain. Italian law enforcement said in a release that the identification was made using photographic comparisons. Andrew Medichini/AP hide caption

Visitors stand in a line to enter the ancient Colosseum, in Rome, Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Italian police on Thursday, June 29, 2023, said they believe the person who was filmed while engraving his name on the ancient Roman Colosseum is a tourist who lives in Britain. Italian law enforcement said in a release that the identification was made using photographic comparisons.

ROME — Italian police on Thursday said they believe the man filmed while engraving his name and that of his apparent girlfriend last week on the ancient Roman Colosseum is a tourist who lives in Britain.

The identification was made using photographic comparisons, Italian Carabinieri said in a press release. The statement did not provide the name of the suspect nor his whereabouts. When reached by phone, police said no further information could be given.

Italian officials have vowed to find and punish the tourist who carved "Ivan+Haley 23" on the the wall of the Colosseum in Rome, a crime that has resulted in hefty fines in the past.

Rome wasn't built in a day, but they sure had strong concrete

The vandal was filmed in the act by an American tourist, Ryan Lutz of Orange, California, who posted the video on social media after he said Colosseum guards failed to show interest in his footage.

It was at least the fourth time this year that such graffiti was reported at the Colosseum, an act that carries fines up up to $15,000 and five years in prison.

Man carves love note into Colosseum in latest case of tourist misbehavior

A man was seen on video carving the name of his girlfriend into the walls of the Colosseum, drawing outrage from the Italian culture minister, who said the suspect should be identified and punished.

Videos showing the man in the act have been going viral since last week, according to Italy’s ANSA news agency. The unidentified tourist engraved “Ivan+Haley 23” onto the almost 2,000-year-old structure in Rome. He could face up to five years in prison and a fine of about $16,400, ANSA reported .

Gennaro Sangiuliano, the culture minister, tweeted Monday that he considered it “a sign of great incivility.” He expressed hope that the man would be legally punished.

Rome, home to some of the world’s most popular tourist sites, has been in a battle to clamp down on obnoxious visitors. In 2018, the mayor signed legislation that targets tourists who engage in certain behavior, such as bathing in public waterworks. The law requires visitors who vandalize artifacts such as the Colosseum to restore them to their earlier condition.

Suspects who previously raised eyebrows at the Colosseum include an Irish tourist accused of carving his initials there; two American women accused of carving the letters “J” and “N”; and two other Americans accused of breaking into the amphitheater to enjoy their morning beers.

The worst part of a vacation? The annoying things that other tourists do.

Venice, another Italian tourist draw, has also had its fair share of ignorant tourists. Since at least 1986, the city has imposed decorum codes and fines on unruly visitors. The city penalizes feeding pigeons, littering and surfing in its canals. Last year, two Australian visitors were fined $1,500 each after riding motorized surfboards in the Grand Canal.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro tweeted that the surfers were “imbeciles.”

Ecco due imbecilli prepotenti che si fanno beffa della Città… chiedo a tutti di aiutarci a individuarli per punirli anche se le nostre armi sono davvero spuntate… servono urgentemente più poteri ai Sindaci in tema di sicurezza pubblica! A chi li individua offro una cena! pic.twitter.com/DV2ONO3hUs — Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) August 17, 2022

Some destinations have unfortunately become magnets for misbehavior.

On Indonesia’s resort island of Bali , immigration officials announced last week that they deported a Russian man who posted a photo on social media showing him with his pants around his ankles atop Mount Agung, a sacred site for Hindus.

It was not the first time that tourists have violated cultural norms at sacred sites.

In 2010, a French dancer stripped on Uluru, or Ayers Rock, a massive monolith in central Australia that’s considered sacred to the local Aboriginal people. How would “French people feel if an Australian danced semi-naked on the altar of the Notre Dame?” Kon Vatskalis, who was at the time a senior local government official, told the Australian media. “I think Aboriginal people have every right to be outraged.”

In 2018, Cambodian authorities kicked seven Westerners out of their country, accusing them of “singing and dancing pornographically” near the famed Angkor Wat temple complex, which dates to the 12th century. Photos from the Cambodian police show a group of people dressed but cavorting on the floor.

Tourists have also harmed wildlife at popular spots. In the United States, national parks have urged visitors leave animals alone.

Last month, a man from Hawaii sought to help a baby bison reunite with its herd. The unsolicited interjection left the calf rejected by its herd and compelled Yellowstone National Park officials to euthanize it.

At the Assateague Island National Seashore in Virginia and Maryland, tourists have fed wild horses, forcing park officials to relocate at least one that developed food aggression. It is illegal to “feed, touch, tease, frighten or intentionally disturb wildlife,” according to the National Park Service .

Friday, May 03, 2024 10:15 am (Paris)

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Police search for man who carved graffiti into Rome's Colosseum

Italy's culture and tourism ministers have vowed to find and punish the tourist who was filmed carving his name and that of his apparent girlfriend in a now-viral video

Le Monde with AP

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Italy's culture and tourism ministers have vowed to find and punish a tourist who was filmed carving his name and that of his apparent girlfriend in the wall of the Colosseum in Rome, a crime that resulted in hefty fines in the past.

Video of the incident went viral on social media. The message reading "Ivan+Haley 23" appeared on the Colosseum at a time when residents already were complaining about hordes of tourists flooding the Eternal City in record numbers this season.

Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano called the writing carved into the almost 2,000-year-old Flavian Amphitheater "serious, undignified and a sign of great incivility." He said he hoped the culprits would be found “and punished according to our laws."

Italian news agency ANSA noted that the incident marked the fourth time this year that such graffiti was reported at the Colosseum. It said whoever was responsible for the latest episode risked $15,000 in fines and up to five years in prison.

Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche said she hoped the tourist would be sanctioned "so that he understands the gravity of the gesture." Calling for respect for Italy's culture and history, she vowed: "We cannot allow those who visit our nation to feel free to behave in this way."

In 2014, a Russian tourist was fined €20,000 and received a four-year suspended jail sentence for engraving a big letter 'K' on a wall of the Colosseum. The following year, two American tourists were also cited for aggravated damage after they carved their names in the monument. Italian tourism lobby Federturismo, backed by statistics bureau ISTAT, has said 2023 is shaping up as a record for visitors to Italy, surpassing pre-pandemic levels that hit a high in 2019.

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‘I woz here!’ Why do tourists keep defacing the Colosseum?

Visitors have been caught carving their names into one of the world’s most famous buildings. Is this the best way to achieve immortality? And where do toilets fit in?

Name: Bad graffiti.

Age: At least since someone carved “I hope your piles again become sore” on a wall in Pompeii almost 2,000 years ago.

Appearance: Very rarely appropriate.

Graffiti is such an eyesore. I couldn’t disagree more. Graffiti has historical significance. It can tell us a lot about civilisations that lived thousands of years ago. Go to the Colosseum in Rome. I bet it has some great examples.

It does. Such as “Ivan + Hayley 23 ”. You’re talking about Ivan Dimitrov from Bristol , who was filmed in June in a viral video called “Asshole tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome”.

It’s awful. Yes, but cut the guy some slack. He didn’t know how old the Colosseum was. He wrote a letter of apology to the mayor of Rome saying that “only after what happened did I learn about the antiquity of the monument”.

Or there’s just the letter N. OK, that was by the 17-year-old Swiss girl who was caught defacing the Colosseum this month . But who knows what she was going to write? It might have been something profound. You’re right, though, defacing ancient monuments is never a good idea. Better to stick to trees.

Don’t do that either! Why? Because trees are living things and deliberately cutting through bark leaves them open to fatal invasion by pests or disease ? God, you’re no fun.

My point is that graffiti anywhere is bad. You say “bad”, but I prefer “historically significant”. Thanks to graffiti, when I walk around my neighbourhood I’m confronted with a running commentary of all the key issues that face my community.

And what issues are they? Well, um, there’s the issue of Covid being a conspiracy.

Stop ! Don’t you see, though? Every message left on a wall, no matter how libellous, is a way of reaching through time itself. It’s a way of telling future generations one simple message: “I woz ere.”

Where, exactly? Judging by the density of graffiti that I see, mainly the inside of a Wetherspoon’s toilet cubicle.

This is so depressing. Oh, come on, there is some great toilet door graffiti. One did the rounds a few years ago that read: “Since writing on bathroom stalls is done neither for wealth nor critical acclaim, it is the purest form of art. Discuss.”

Ugh, I think I preferred “Ivan + Hayley 23” . Me too. Let’s go and carve it into the Tower of Jericho!

Do say: “Graffiti enables us to achieve permanence in our transient existence.”

Don’t say: “Covid is a hoax, 5G is the killer.”

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Italian police blame couple from England for Colosseum graffiti

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Italian police say man filmed carving name on Colosseum from UK

Italian officials promised to find and punish tourist who carved ‘Ivan+Haley 23’ on a wall of the Colosseum in Rome.

Italian police said they believe the man filmed engraving his name and that of his apparent girlfriend on the ancient Roman Colosseum in Rome is a tourist who lives in the United Kingdom.

The identification was made using photographic comparisons, Italian Carabinieri said in a press statement on Thursday.

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The statement did not provide the name of the suspect nor his whereabouts. When reached by phone, police said no further information could be given.

Italian officials have said they will find and punish the tourist who carved “Ivan+Haley 23” on a wall of the Colosseum in Rome, a crime that has resulted in hefty fines in the past.

The vandal was filmed in the act by a tourist from the United States, Ryan Lutz, who posted the video on social media after he said Colosseum guards failed to show interest in his footage.

“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,” Italy’s Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said on Tuesday.

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

Built in the first century, the Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre in the world, a Roman landmark and a major tourist attraction that draws approximately a million visitors each year.

The incident was at least the fourth time this year that such graffiti was reported at the Colosseum, an act that carries fines of up to $15,000 and five years in prison.

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Breaking news, tourist seen defacing rome’s colosseum identified as fitness coach in uk: report.

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The tourist who sparked outrage after he was caught on video carving up the Colosseum in Rome has been identified in a report as a Bulgarian-born fitness instructor who lives in the UK.

Ivan Dimitrov, 27, allegedly used a key to carve “Ivan + Hayley 23” into the nearly 2,000-year-old iconic landmark in the Italian capital, the Daily Mail reported .

The tourist — who also goes by the name Ivan Hawkins — is originally from Lovech, Bulgaria, but now lives in Bristol, where he works as a fitness coach and a delivery driver, according to the outlet.

He was with his girlfriend Hayley Bracey, 33, when he was captured defacing the ancient amphitheater on Friday, smiling gleefully while clad in a periwinkle shirt and shorts, the report said.

“The people we are looking for have left the country but we are sure that we will have their precise location by the end of the day,” a Carabinieri paramilitary police source told the Daily Mail on Thursday.

“I can confirm they are British residents, and the man is younger than the woman. They are traveling together and arrived in Italy on June 21 and left on June 26,” the source said. “The man is of Bulgarian origin and the woman British. They were staying in a B and B on the outskirts of Rome and we have their details.”

The police official added that investigators have identified the man but not the woman, who was not seen in the viral video.

Bracey — who is believed to run her own sports nutrition business — and Dimitrov live together in the suburb of Keynsham, not far from the Longwell Green gym where he works, The Daily Mail said.

Her mother told the news outlet: “No, that can’t be right. She wouldn’t do anything like that. She’s on holiday in Italy. Ivan is her partner, and they are both away.”

Bracey’s dad said: “I’ve got nothing to say.”

Ryan Lutz, of Orange, California, who is on a two-month backpacking trip through Europe, filmed the incident and posted the video on YouTube and Reddit.

He said that he had just finished a guided tour of the Colosseum when he saw the person “blatantly carving his name” in the wall. He said he took out his phone to record the man because he was so shocked at what he was doing.

“And as you see in the video, I kind of approach him and ask him, dumbfounded at this point, ‘Are you serious? Are you really serious?’” Lutz said. “And all he could do is like smile at me.” Lutz said he even tried to get a guard to take action, but neither the guard nor his supervisor did anything, even after Lutz identified the person and offered to share the footage.

Italy’s culture and tourism ministers have vowed to find and punish the cheeky tourist for his brazen act.

Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano called the incident a “serious, undignified and a sign of great incivility.”  

The incident marked the fourth time this year that such graffiti was reported at the Colosseum – and whoever was responsible for the latest episode risked $15,000 in fines and up to five years behind bars, Italian news agency ANSA said.

Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche said she hoped the tourist would be sanctioned “so that he understands the gravity of the gesture.”

“We cannot allow those who visit our nation to feel free to behave in this way,” she said.

On Dimitrov’s business page on Facebook – Ivan Fitness and Coaching – there are several images and videos of him at the gym.

“Always hungry for results and always ready to work and do my best! (and be silly lol),” he tells prospective clients.  

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British tourist who carved name onto Colosseum wall could face five years in prison

The British tourist, believed to be called Ivan, who went viral when he was caught on camera scratching his name and that of his girlfriend into the Colosseum faces a hefty penalty

• 10:24, 30 Jun 2023

A British tourist alleged to have carved his name into Rome’s historic Colosseum could face five years behind bars for the act of vandalism.

Earlier this month a video of a man wearing a flowery shirt appearing to use a key to scratch his and a woman's monikers into the 1,900 year-old landmark went viral.

It caused worldwide scorn and triggered a police investigation.

Their identities are known only as Ivan and Hayley as they were seen scratched into the side of the ancient amphitheatre.

The suspect is believed to be a fitness instructor from around Bristol, although investigations are currently ongoing.

If found guilty, he faces a fine of around £13,000 but could also face five years in an Italian prison under the country’s strict laws.

A Carabinieri police source in Rome said: "The people we are looking for have left the country but we are sure we will have their precise location by the end of the day.

"I can confirm they are British residents, and the man is younger than the woman.

“They are travelling together and arrived in Italy on June 21 and left on June 26.

“The man is of Bulgarian origin and the woman British. They were staying in a bed and breakfast on the outskirts of Rome and we have their details.

"We are happy we have identified the male but the woman has not been identified as she is not seen in the video taken at the Colosseum but they are travelling together."

The suspect was filmed in the act by an American tourist, Ryan Lutz of Orange, California, who posted the video on social media after he said Colosseum guards failed to show interest in his footage.

It was at least the fourth time this year that such graffiti was reported at the Colosseum.

Back in 2014 a tourist was fined 20,000 euros (approximately £17,000) after allegedly scratching their initials into the wall of the Colosseum.

A year later in a separate incident, two women were arrested in Rome after allegedly scratching their initials into the wall of the Colosseum and taking a selfie.

The women were accused of using a coin to engrave the letters J and N into the historic site. Police charged them with "aggravated damage on a building of historical and artistic interest".

In recent years a number of holiday destinations have been attempting to crack down on unruly tourists.

Bali recently announced it would be creating a guidebook for visitors after a string of incidents where people stepped over the line.

In February a tourist sparked outrage after mooning on top of a sacred mountain, Mount Agung, appalling locals in the process.

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Tourist caught carving 'Ivan + Hayley' into the wall of Colosseum lives in Britain, Italian police say

29 June 2023, 18:58

By Kit Heren

A tourist who was caught carving graffiti into the brickwork of the Colosseum in Rome lives in Britain, officers investigating the vandalism have said.

A video emerged online that shows an English-speaking tourist carving the words 'Ivan + Hayley 23' into the walls of Rome's ancient Colosseum, sparking fury.

Italian officials vowed to find the vandal and punish him for the offence, which has landed culprits hefty fines in the past.

Police investigating the incident said they worked out that he lived in Britain by comparing photographs.

They did not give a name, a nationality, or the current whereabouts of the suspect.

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Asshole tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome 6-23-23

The video, shot by an American tourist called Ryan Lutz at the iconic Italian landmark, sees the man scrawling the names into the stonework of the 1,937-year-old building.

Clutching a set of keys, the man cracks a smirk at the camera before returning to the wall and continuing to inscribe the names.

The incident is believed to have taken place last Friday, June 23, according to the person filming the video.

At the time of its construction at around 70 CE, the Colosseum is thought to have seated 50,000 spectators.

Uploaded to YouTube on June 24 by user @rytz5873, the footage was later shared on Reddit with the caption 'A*****e tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome'.

Social media users commenting on the video called for the arrest of the culprit.

As part of the video, the English-speaking man capturing the footage can be heard saying: 'Are you serious man? That is f***ed up man. Stupid a*****e.'

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If reported to police, the individual could be fined £1750 (€2,065) and face up to one year in prison.

It was at least the fourth time this year that such graffiti was reported at the Colosseum, an act that carries fines of up to 15,000 US dollars and five years in prison.

An Irish tourist was arrested by the Carabinieri police force in September 2020 for allegedly carving his initials into the Colosseum in a similar incident.

Reported to police by the Colosseum's private security firm, the 32-year-old was caught inscribing his two initials into a pillar on the landmark's first floor.

Measuring about 2" high, the letters, inscribed using a metal point, saw the anonymous individual stand accused of damaging a historical and artistic landmark.

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