A tourist desecrated an ancient Roman landmark (3 photos)

A Dutch man vandalized Herculaneum, an ancient city that, like Pompeii, was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The tourist signed one of the houses and faces a large fine.





“A 27-year-old citizen of the Netherlands, who was vacationing in Campania, wrote in memory of his visit with a marker on the ancient stucco work of a house excavated from the ashes of Vesuvius,” the police statement says. “The signature is indelible. The identity of the offender has been established, he has been taken to the police station.”

Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said: "Any damage harms our heritage, beauty and identity, so it must be punished with the utmost severity."



A similar incident occurred last summer: a British tourist left a love inscription on the wall of the Colosseum. Ivan Danailov scratched out “Ivan + Hayley 23” with a key.

“I admit with deep embarrassment that only after the incident I learned about the antiquity of the monument,” admitted Ivan. “I apologize to the Italians and the whole world for the damage caused to the monument, which, in fact, is the heritage of all mankind.”