Tourist who carved names into Colosseum apologies, says he didn't realise it was so old
In a letter, the 27-year-old UK-based man offered his "heartfelt and honest apologies to the Italians and to the whole world".
The tourist who was filmed scratching a wall of the Colosseum in Rome has apologised for his act and said that only after the incident he realised that the monument was so old. A video showing how 27-year-old Ivan Dimitrov from Bristol etched names of himself and his girlfriend, “Ivan + Hayley 23”, on the 2000-year-old amphitheatre left people enraged. Following the incident, Italian authorities started searching for Dimitrov and traced him back to England. He has reportedly shared a letter of apology and claimed that he was unaware of the history of the monument.
In the letter Dimitrov offered his "heartfelt and honest apologies to the Italians and to the whole world", reports the BBC. “I admit with profound embarrassment that only after what regretfully happened did I learn of the antiquity of the monument. I am also aware of the fact that a similar conduct, in my country, would result in far more serious consequences,” he added.
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“The incivility, superficiality and thoughtlessness with which I acted, damaging the Colosseum to the detriment of anyone who legitimately wishes to admire and enjoy it, have no justification,” he further clarified.
The video showing the vandalism of the UNESCO World Heritage Site was also shared on social media and it soon went viral leaving people angry. Minister of Culture of the Italian Republic, Gennaro Sangiuliano, also shared the video on Twitter.
Take a look at the video that shows the man carving names into Colosseum:
A visitor to the colosseum recorded Dimitrov using a key to carve the names into a wall of the historic monument. The visitor condemned him for his act and eventually handed the video to the security.
