Posted on 07/05/2023 8:20:18 AM PDT by Cronos
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.”
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Another keyboard hero. Safely behind his keyboard. Posting insults he would never in a million years say to someone’s face.
I hope he brought enough for everybody.
My jerk sister-in-law who is a dedicated leftist retired school teacher some years ago was showing us video of their trip to England and how during the tour of a castle she carved her initials into the wall. She was quite proud of herself.
Later, when we related this to our daughter she got livid, and said that if she had been there she’d have ripped a woman a new asshole. And I believe she would have.
lol
I was stationed in Diyarbakir, Republic of Turkey, in the late 80’s. IIRC, that town is the oldest continuously inhabited walled town in the world. There is graffiti on the wall there to the effect that Legio VI, of the Roman Army had been there. Another stupid kid, probably.
“Kilroyus Was Here!”
If he’d done something like this in Singapore, he’d be begging not to caned.
An Englishman carved his name on a Greek temple. But he’s dead now. (Lord Byron—on a block at the temple of Poseidon at Sounion.)
A poem I remember from a humorous poetry book:
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter’d visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp’d on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
‘My name is Ozymandias, king of kings!
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!’
Also the names of Emory P. Gray,
Mr. and Mrs. Dukes, and Oscar Baer,
Of 17 West 4th Street, Oyster Bay.
The guys smile alone infuriates me. These despoilers of ancient ruins are the scum of the earth as far as I’m concerned.
You threatening the poster?
My atty dad always told us kids that ignorance of the law was no excuse.
actually, Bulgarian
I think his being an adult is highly questionable.
bulgarian
After seeing her Boyfriend being named, shamed and made an example of, his Girlfriend may decide to start “seeing other people”. She doesn’t want her name and reputation smeared along with his.
No, but a REMF might perceive it as a threat. You know. Those bravely fighting Putin from their keyboard.
I was just there in June. I hope they punish him a LOT, the girlfriend and the one who took the video. The guy was a real idiot in many ways - and not knowing the age of the building isn’t an excuse, especially since there’s a big display on the history of the building as you enter.
If he was an archeologist knocking over ancient ruins and sending stolen artifacts back to his university, he would be praised and paid to go on a speaking tour.
It could be used for all sorts of events, and would bring in lots of tourist dollars.
Not in Rome. Put it in Las Vegas, next to the Eiffel Tower or the Pyramid.
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