Tourist Who Defaced Colosseum: I Didn't Realize It Was Old
I'm of the mind that they should double whatever fine he gets for the gross stupidity and insulting nature of his "apology."
Source: The Guardian
An English tourist accused of defacing the Colosseum has said he was not aware of the age of the ancient monument.
Ivan Dimitrov, a 27-year-old fitness instructor living in Bristol, wrote a letter of apology to the Rome mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, after allegedly engraving his and his girlfriend’s names into an internal wall of the 2,000-year-old landmark with a key.
In the letter, Dimitrov, who was traced by Italian police to England after a five-day search, wrote that only now did he realise “the seriousness of the deed committed”.
“Through these lines I would like to address my 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 added in the letter published in Il Messaggero on Wednesday.
Dimitrov, who faces a hefty fine and possible prison term, praised those who “guard the inestimable historical and artistic value of the Colosseum with dedication, care and sacrifice”, before adding: “It is with deep embarrassment that only after what regrettably happened did I learn of the antiquity of the monument.”