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ROME - A tourist etching his girlfriend's name into the Colosseum in Rome provoked outrage on social media and from Italy's culture minister on Monday after a clip of the act went viral, reported German news agency (dpa).
"It's extremely disgraceful and a sign of great lack of culture that a tourist defaces one of the most famous places in the world, a piece of historical heritage," Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said.
Sangiuliano expressed the hope that the culprit would be found and punished.
Some years ago, a Russian tourist was hit with a fine of €20,000 (US$21,800) for a similar act. Italian media reports suggested that the unknown etcher could face a similar fine if caught.
Built in the first century AD, the Colosseum is the largest amphitheatre in the world, a Roman landmark and a major tourist attraction. In its heyday, it hosted gladiatorial combat and other spectacles, many of them brutal.
It draws one million visitors each year. - BERNAMA-DPA