How does one create lasting memories of being in a historical site? For sure, a 45-year-old, French woman decided to vandal the Roman Colosseum with an ancient coin and was arrested by Italian police for defacing the monument.
The woman, only known as "Sabrina," carved her name and the year 2017 in the 2,000-year-old amphitheater's pillars by the entrance. Where she even got the ancient coin on top of vandalizing the monument got authorities baffled at the thought.
Sabrina was a traffic warden on tour with her daughter and two nephews. She thought she could get away by inscribing "Sabrina 2017" on the pillars as the characters aren't that long. However, authorities have caught her act and confiscated the coin, while 'Sabrina' was taken into custody.
According to a police report, the woman suffers the consequences for "aggravated damage to a building of historical and artistic interest." Rome's Colosseum just had its €25 million restoration project last July 2016 with its goal of supporting arched structures and changed metal gates and barriers on the ground floor.
By the start of 2017, the Colosseum suffered break-ins where two Brazilian tourists entered the amphitheater illegally with one of them falling 13 ft high and suffered a displaced hip. Furthermore, the management staff of the historic site discovered more paint vandals with the word 'Morte' on the marble pillars.
Last year, a tourist was penalized of a fine reaching €20,000 for vandalizing the Colosseum with a big letter 'K.' About 20 people were caught damaging the monument in a span of three years.
Security in the amphitheater tightened, and a bill was passed in December stating the offenses in "damaging cultural heritage or landscapes, and increased the punishment from a minimum of one year to a maximum of five years' imprisonment." Also, officials created a 'no-go zone' and a 'red zone' where video surveillance are installed.
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