Italy's Tourist Faux Pax In Rome Could Get You Sent To Jail With A Hefty Fine

While you can take in some breathtaking views of Rome's Colosseum from inside or outside the structure that will last with you for a lifetime, tourists planning to commemorate their visit to the site by engraving their initials or pocketing a piece of the amphitheater's bricks as a souvenir should think twice before doing so. Aside from being a blatant sign of disrespect to the cultural heritage of the country and its people, this faux pas earns perpetrators up to $65,150 in fines and possible jail time — not exactly the way you'd envision spending your Italian holiday.

Italy is considered one of the most overtouristed places in Europe, yet rather than keep a low and respectful profile, some visitors seem intent on doing things that drive locals up a wall. Over the years, Rome's Colosseum has seen a series of vandalism incidents from tourists eager to leave their mark on — or steal pieces from — the ancient UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A 2023 case of vandalism involved a British tourist carving his and his girlfriend's name on the Colosseum's wall. The act was caught on video and went viral on social media, sparking outrage from locals and foreigners. The act was condemned by Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano as "serious, undignified and a sign of great incivility," according to the Associated Press. Pleading ignorance on the historical monument's cultural significance, the tourist stated in a letter to the Italian prosecutor's office that "only after what regrettably happened, I learned of the antiquity of the monument," CNN reported.

Just a month after this incident, Swiss and German teenagers carving their initials into the walls of the Colosseum just a day apart were reported to the Carabinieri. The offenders faced hefty fines and possible jail time of up to five years.

But perhaps the "Beni Culturali" bill, passed by the Italian parliament in 2024, will help curb these crimes against Italy's cultural heritage. The legislation imposes a monetary fine of $43,548 for damage and defacement to historical and cultural monuments. If the damages are permanent, offenders can be expected to pay up to $65,150 — a steep climb from the previous $1,740-$17,400 fines. The collected fines will be put into the restoration of the damaged works. "From now on, anyone who causes damage to the cultural and heritage landscape will be forced to pay the cost of the expenses for the complete restoration of the works out of their own pocket," stated Sangiuliano.

In a Rome subreddit, a Redditor was praised for reporting an incident of a group of tourists removing and pocketing a Colosseum wall's stone to security. "You did the right thing, and the consequence could range from a warning to a fine to actual arrest if it turned out they had done more than what you witnessed," commented u/RoninBelt. "Just think of it this way, the Colosseo alone sees about 6 million visitors a year, if every one of those visitors took a pebble how long do you think one of the greatest marvels of man would last?" Another Redditor lamented that such an act "says a lot about education and the quality and problem with tourism numbers and the 'must-see' culture."