Tourist Caught Carving Initials into Pompeii Wall
When visiting new places, tourists are often reminded to "take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints."
But one tourist left a little more than footprints when he visited the 2,000-year-old city of Pompeii in Italy.
The 37-year-old British tourist was caught carving his family's initials into the wall of one of Pompeii's houses.
According to Italian news website ANSA, the man — who has not been named — wrote five things on the wall, including his own initials and those of his two daughters, as well as the date, and the word "Mylaw."
He was seen doing this by staff, who called the police. He apologized for what he did, and said he wanted to leave a sign of his family's visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
While it's not yet clear what punishment the man will receive, earlier this year the Italian culture ministry approved larger fines for people who are caught damaging historical and cultural sites.
This means the man could face a fine of between about $21,000 and $65,000. If he can't pay the fine, he might go to prison.
Pompeii is one of Italy's most popular tourist attractions, with more than 2 million visitors walking its streets every year.
It's not the first time a tourist has been caught causing damage to the site. In June, a tourist was caught carving his initials into the wall of a different house, and was told he had to pay for the restoration of the wall.
