A British tourist has defaced a famous site at Pompeii, by carving his and his children’s initials into the ancient wall.
The unnamed man, 37, was caught while carving into the Domus of the Vestals, a UNCESCO World Heritage Site.
The man even inscribed the date before he was caught and reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Torre Annunziata for damage to the artistic heritage, Secolo d’Italia reported.
The man apologised and said the engravings were to ‘leave a sign of his visit’.
According to new regulations in Italy, the Brit will have to pay for the restoration of the historical site and pay a fine.
It comes just months after another tourist was caught carving their name into the ruins of Pompeii.
The man was stopped while engraving the letters ‘ALI’ in the House of the Ceii, an ancient villa that probably belonged to the magistrate Lucius Ceius Secundus.
The preserved city in southeast of Naples, at the base of Mount Vesuvius, is one of the most significant proofs of Roman civilisation.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist spots in Italy, attracting more than 2.5 million visitors every year.
The park director, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, described it as an ‘uncivilised’ act, saying at the time: ‘Thanks to the new law supported by Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano, the perpetrator of the crime will have to pay for the restoration of the wall.
‘Well done to the ministry collaborators and the Ales company who promptly intervened. Excellent collaboration with the police, who we thank for their promptness.’
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