Someone took “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” a little too seriously.
That someone is a 47-year-old American tourist who found himself impaled on the spiked fencing at the Colosseum after a failed attempt at taking a photo. The incident occurred last Friday when the tourist, who is also a resident of Taiwan, climbed onto the railing at the historic landmark’s Piazza del Colosseo before slipping and falling onto the iron spikes below.
According to multiple media outlets, the man was reportedly stuck on the fence and screaming in pain for over 20 minutes before the paramedics could reach him.
An eyewitness described the accident to Il Messaggero, an Italian daily news publication:
“It was terrible… I saw that man impaled on a railing, and he couldn't free himself."
Paramedics gave the man a sedative and carefully maneuvered him off the bars, which resulted in him losing a large amount of blood. After his injuries were stabilized, he was transported to a hospital near San Giovanni, where he underwent surgery that required over 80 stitches.
Friends of the victim were unable to explain the man’s motive in climbing the fence, other than getting a better view or an Instagram-worthy photo. Days after the surgery, he was questioned by law enforcement, who reported that he had been vacationing for several days with relatives before the incident.
Penalties for defacing or tampering with historical landmarks can include a hefty fine or jail time. Three years ago, American tourists were fined 800 euros (or $900) for breaking into the Colosseum at 5:30 AM for a beer. The intruders even told the police that they were “just having a beer.”
And in 2023, more tourists went viral for videoing themselves carving their initials onto the Colosseum’s almost 2000-year-old walls. The 17-year-olds from Switzerland and Germany risked a fine of up to $17,000 and up to five years in jail.
The moment can be seen in the clip below:
The no-longer-impaled American tourist seems to have a lot to look forward to as the internet chimed in on the incident:
The Colosseum is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World that hosts over 6 million visitors annually. Gladiator movie fans may recall that the ancient amphitheater was used for combat contests, naval battle exercises, religious executions, animal hunts, and now, embarrassingly expensive failed photo-ops.
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