A tourist from England, who carved names on to the walls of Rome’s Colosseum, has written an apology letter to the city’s mayor.
Reportedly, Ivan Dimitrov, a 27-year-old fitness instructor living in Bristol, was tracked by the Italian Police to England, after a video of him carving ‘Ivan + Hayley 23’ went viral on social media.
The Italian Police is said to have found Ivan after tracking him for five days.
The Colosseum is a 1,951-year-old amphitheatre monument, built in 72 AD by emperor Vespasian.
The monument was once host to gladiator fights. Initially intended to be an entertainment venue, the structure was also used to conduct animal hunts and mock naval battles.
According to reports from Italian media, Dimitrov is being investigated for damaging a cultural heritage asset and, if convicted, faces a fine of between €2,500 and €15,000 as well as a prison sentence of two to five years.
Ivan, in his letter to the city’s mayor, wrote, “I admit with profound embarrassment that only after what regretfully happened did I learn of the antiquity of the monument," reports BBC.