Italy condemns tourist who carved love note into Colosseum walls

June 27 (UPI) -- A man who was filmed carving a love note into the walls of the Colosseum in Rome has been condemned by officials in Italy as authorities seek to find him.

The man, who has not yet been identified, was seen carving the words "Ivan + Hayley 23" into a restored wall of the ancient amphitheater in a video uploaded to YouTube.

"Are you [expletive] serious man? That's [expletive] up man," a voice is heard saying in the video as the man smiles.

Italy's Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano described the incident as "serious" and called for the man to face criminal penalties in a statement on Twitter.

"I consider it very serious, unworthy and a sign of great incivility that a tourist defaces one of the most famous places in the world, the Colosseum, to engrave the name of his fiancée," Sangiuliano said.

"I hope that whoever did this will be identified and sanctioned according to our laws."

Alfonsina Russo, the director of the ancient site, told The Times of London that the wall the man defaced was built around 1840 as part of a restoration effort and that police are seeking to track the man down.

The man could face a fine of about $16,424 or a prison sentence if convicted, according to The Art Newspaper.

Last month, two climate activists who smeared paint on the case protecting one of the most famous sculptures in modern art history housed at the National Gallery of Art in April were indicted by a grand jury, despite the work being undamaged.

Timothy Martin and Joanna Smith were indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., and charged with conspiracy "to commit an act against the United States" by smearing red paint on the case and floor around the work Little Dancer, Age Fourteen by the French artist Edgar Degas.

Earlier this month, two climate activists smeared red paint on a Monet painting at Stockholm National Museum before gluing their hands to the artwork's protective glass and shouting at onlookers.