Tourist caught carving initials into ancient Pompeii house, faces huge fine
Many people want to leave their mark on history, but scratching your initials into ancient structures at a UNESCO World Heritage Site isn’t the wisest way to do it.
Thanks to one unnamed British tourist, travellers to Pompeii, Italy can now view the nearly 2,000-year-old House of the Vestals with a touch of modern vandalism. The 37-year-old man was spotted by staff at the historical site as he used a blunt object to make five carvings on an external wall of the ancient home.
The carvings, according to the Italian news agency ANSA, are the man’s own initials, the initials of his daughters and the date of the engravings, Aug. 7. The engravings, located next to a frescoed doorway, read, “JW LMW MW,” positioned above another reading, “MYLAW 07/08/24.”
<a href=«https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pompei?src=hash&ref_src=» https:>#Pompei
– Incide le sue iniziali sulla Casa delle Vestali, denunciato turista inglese LEGGI LA NEWS: https://t.co/FEl5WzNTfh pic.twitter.com/p8ScjXHxhR
— Stabia Channel (@StabiaChannel) <a href=«https://twitter.com/StabiaChannel/status/1821424468612272154?ref_src=» https:>August 8, 2024
Staff at the UNESCO World Heritage Site reported the vandalism to police.
The tourist reportedly apologized to Italian authorities and said he’d intended to leave a sign of his family’s visit to the Pompeii ruins.
The British traveller has been charged with “damage to artistic heritage,” which carries a fine of 20,000 euros (about C$30,000) to 60,000 euros (C$90,000) and a possible jail term of up to five years, according to CNN. He may also face a lesser charge for defacing heritage sites, which carries a fine between 10,000 euros and 40,000 euros.
Officials for the ancient site have not commented publicly on the vandalism.
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