An American tourist was impaled after scaling a fence lining the perimeter of the Colosseum in Rome, according to local media outlets.
On Friday evening, May 2, a 47-year-old United States citizen and resident of Taiwan reportedly attempted to climb a metal fence in the Piazza del Colosseo, an area outside of the ancient amphitheater. The Italian newspaper Il Messaggero said the man’s motivations for scaling the pointed metal barrier were unclear, but speculated that he was trying to get closer to the landmark. At some point, he lost control, and a metal spike pierced his back.
Day Italia News reported that the man was “stuck in a painful and dramatic position” until paramedics arrived at the scene and freed him over the course of 20 minutes. The man was reportedly screaming until he passed out, bleeding on the fence, in front of a crowd of tourists, many of whom called emergency services. According to Il Messaggero, the fence pierced the man’s lumbosacral region.
The tourist was stabilized on the scene and given sedatives by paramedics before receiving 80 stitches at a nearby emergency room. The Italian national police questioned the man about the incident over the weekend, reports said, but no charges have been announced.
Hyperallergic has contacted the Italian national police in Rome, the Carabinieri, and the Colosseum Archaeological Park for comment.
Rome has long been a site of tourist tomfoolery, but few — if any — of the incidents have been as injurious as Friday’s reported accident. In recent years, Italian cultural officials have contended with anticipated surges in tourist numbers and have considered imposing fees and limiting access to cultural sites including the Trevi Fountain, the city of Venice, and Pompeii. Tourists at these sites have engaged in bizarre behavior, including drinking straight from the Trevi Fountain and etching names into the Colosseum.