A British tourist was caught defacing the House of the Vestals in the ancient city of Pompeii yesterday, according to reports in the Italian press. The 37-year-old man was spotted carving his initials and those of his daughters near the building’s entrance by staff, who alerted the local authorities.
The man used a blunt object to make multiple engravings, including “JW LMW MW,” the date “07/08/24” (August 7, 2024), and the letters “MYLAW.” When staff at Pompeii Archaeological Park noticed him standing close to the frescoed wall and later discovered the carvings he had left, they called the local authorities, known as the Carabinieri. The man immediately apologized, according to the Corriere della Sera, claiming he just wanted to leave some trace of his visit.
The Carabinieri have reported the man to the Torre Annunziata Public Prosecutor’s Office for damage to artistic heritage. He will likely receive a fine and be ordered to cover the costs of restoring the ancient wall.
#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) August 8, 2024
Pompeii Archaeological Park declined to comment on the incident. The Carabinieri, the Torre Annunziata Public Prosecutor’s Office, and Italy’s ministry for culture have also been reached for comment but did not respond by publication time.
Earlier this year, Italy’s parliament decided to crack down on the vandalism of its cultural heritage by raising the maximum fine for these offenses from €15,000 ($16,000) to €60,000 ($65,000). The move is also intended to curb climate protests that take place at cultural sites.
Pompeii is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but this is not the first time this summer that it has been targeted by vandals. On June 22, a man from Kazahkstan reportedly carved his initials into the House of Ceii and was later detained by the Carabinieri. Italy’s culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano called the act “an uncivilized and idiotic disgrace” and said the perpetrator must repay the full cost of restoring the damage.
Tourist vandalizes House of the Ceii in Pompei with letters “ALI.” Photo courtesy of Italy’s Ministry of Culture.
Tourists are often tempted to tag ancient monuments. A couple of months ago, a 27-year-old Dutch tourist was arrested for using a black marker to graffiti another house in the ancient city of Herculaneum, near Pompeii, which was also destroyed and preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 C.E.
“Every damage is a wound to our heritage, to our beauty, and to our identity and this is why it must be sanctioned with the utmost firmness,” said Sangiuliano in a press statement issued shortly after the incident.
Last year, Ivan Dimitrov, a Bulgarian tourist who lives in Bristol, England was caught on camera engraving “Ivan + Hayley ’23” onto the Colosseum while on holiday with his girlfriend. The incident sparked outrage online. Dimitrov was caught thanks to CCTV footage and hotel records.
It was later reported that Dimitrov begged Italian authorities after learning that the crime could potentially result in jail time and a fine of up to $16,000. Even this widely publicized punishment did not prove to be much of a deterrent to would-be vandals. Just weeks later, in July 2023, a teenage girl from Switzerland was also caught carving her name into the Roman amphitheater.
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