A holidaymaker from Kent could face trial and a fine in Italy after she allegedly chiselled off pieces of a 2,000-year-old mosaic.
The 21-year-old woman from Tunbridge Wells was sightseeing with her parents and sister in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, when she was caught by guards, apparently breaking off around 20 pieces of precious artwork.
The woman and her family had been visiting the Casa dell’ancora, which is a villa that gets its name from a mosaic of an anchor on the wall, when guards said she climbed over a rope barrier and chipped at the tiles.
A police official said: “The guard stopped her and asked for her details to make a report, but she declined and walked away, leaving the mosaic pieces on the ground.
“The guard called us, we stopped the family and brought them to our office to identify them.
“The woman showed little remorse, despite the fact she may stand trial and get a suspended sentence of up to eight months, while repairs will cost £2,600.”
Pompeii, located near the modern city of Naples, was buried under metres of volcanic ash and pumice after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Largely preserved under the layers, the excavated city is favoured by tourists for its frozen-in-time insight into Roman life, and coveted by thieves for its well-conserved artefacts.
A special unit of the national police force is dedicated to tracking down professional thieves in the city and the international dealers they sell to.
Last year, tunnels more than 200 yards long used by thieves were found in Pompeii, and three years ago, an extensive investigation ago saw fragments of fresco that had been stolen in 1957 finally returned from the US to their rightful home.
A number of visitors who stole fragments of the city’s treasures said doing so left them plagued with bad luck. Local superstition says their curse is the legacy of Vesuvius itself, which erupted because the gods were angry at Roman legionaries who had destroyed sacred buildings.
