CNN
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The perfectly preserved streets and houses offer a unique opportunity to see how people lived almost 2,000 years ago. A visit to the ancient city of Pompeii, frozen in time when it was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, will leave you with unforgettable memories.
But the memories were not enough for one British tourist: he was caught this week engraving his initials and those of his family into one of the city’s 2,000-year-old houses.
The 37-year-old, whose name has not yet been disclosed, is said to have used a blunt object to make five engravings – his family’s initials and the date August 7 – into the wall of the Vestal Virgins’ house.
Photos of the damage show letters carved into the plaster next to the entrance door, which was painted with a red fresco almost 2,000 years ago.
The letters “JW LMW MW” at the top of the wall and “MYLAW 07/08/24” further down are clearly visible.
Workers on site noticed this and called the police. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the man apologized and said he had written his initials and those of his two daughters on the construction site to leave a sign of their visit.
The archaeological park declined to comment to CNN. However, when a tourist from Kazakhstan was caught carving his initials on the House of the Ceii in the ancient city in June, Pompeii director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said the tourist would have to pay for the wall’s restoration.
The case was referred to the local court in Torre Annuziata for “damage to artistic heritage”. Under laws tightened in January, the suspect faces a fine of 20,000 to 60,000 euros and a possible prison sentence of up to five years.
The law covers acts that destroy or damage cultural or landscape heritage. A lesser penalty for damaging cultural monuments can be fines ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 euros.
The vast site has often been the victim of ill-behaved tourists carving their initials and stealing items since excavations began in the 18th century. In 2022, an Australian tourist even rode a moped through the ancient site.
Tourists appear to behave particularly badly in Italy, a country whose top attractions are mostly focused on art or archaeology – and are therefore more fragile than most others.
