Ivan Dimitrov, a 27-year-old Bulgarian-born fitness trainer living in England, penned an apology to the mayor of Rome begging for forgiveness after allegedly using a key to etch “Ivan + Hayley 23” into the wall of the UNESCO heritage site. 

Dimitrov is facing a steep fine and possible time behind bars for his actions, and told the government official that he did not understand the gravity of his actions until it was too late. 

His apology, which was published in the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, reads, “It is with deep embarrassment that only after what regrettably happened did I learn of the antiquity of the monument.”

He said he was unaware how old the Colosseum was, and it was only after he was identified by police after a five day search that he understand “the seriousness of the deed committed”.

“Through these lines I would like to address my heartfelt and honest apologies to the Italians and to the whole world for the damage caused to an asset which, in fact, is the heritage of all humanity,” Mr Dimitrov said.

Alexandro Maria Tirelli, Mr Dimitrov's lawyer, painted his client as a run-of-the-mill ignorant tourist.

“The boy is the prototype of the foreigner who frivolously believes that anything is allowed in Italy, even the type of act which in their own countries would be severely punished,” Mr Tirelli told Il Messaggero.

Mr Dimitrov was blasted online after the video of him carving his and his girlfriend's name into the monument went viral under the title, “A**hole tourist carves name in Colosseum in Rome”.

Ryan Lutz, who filmed the act of vandalism, said he had just finished a guided tour of the Colosseum, which was completed in the year 80AD by Emperor Titus, when he spotted the fellow tourist “blatantly carving his name” into the wall.

“And as you see in the video, I kind of approach him and ask him, dumbfounded at this point, ‘Are you serious? Are you really serious?’” Mr Lutz said. “And all he could do is like smile at me.”

Image credits: TikTok