Two American tourists have been arrested for carving initials into the Colosseum in Rome . Before they were spotted , the women , 21 and 25 , were able to carve a J and an N into a brick wall on the first floor of the west side of the Colosseum . After carving the eight-inch high letters , the women posed together for a selfie . The women , just two of six million tourists that flock to the Colosseum every year , used a coin to engrave the letters , La Stampa reported . They are said to have broken away from their tour group before - but other tourists saw what had happened and alerted security . Police charged the women with 'aggravated damage on building of historical and artistic interest ' , according to Republica . After they were caught , the women apologized to Piazza Dante police and Captain Lorenzo Iacobone . They said : 'We apologize for what we did . We regret it but we did not imagine it was something so serious . 'We 'll remember for a lifetime . ' According to the Guardian , the section damaged dates back to the 1800s - a key period of restoration . A spokesman for the Special Superintendency for the Archaeological Heritage of Rome is quoted as saying : 'It ’ s not an original wall but it ’ s nevertheless antique . ' With approximately six million visitors to the Colosseum each year and ever-increasing staff cuts , policing the site has become a major problem . Sadly many of the stones bear the unsightly engravings of tourists keen to leave their mark . The Californians ’ lawbreaking comes little over three months after a Russian tourist was caught carving a 25cm letter into the Colosseum . The 42-year-old was given a four-month suspended prison sentence and a €20,000 fine , although owing to a lack of funds he has not paid the penalty . Two tourists from the United States were caught engraving their initials at the Colosseum in Rome , Italy . The women were charged with 'aggravated damage on a building of historical and artistic interest ' on Saturday . He was said to be the fifth tourist seen defacing the Colosseum in 2014 . A father and son from Australia and teenagers from Brazil and Canada were also caught out last year . Built in the first century CE , the Colosseum is a United Nations Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site . In order to make the UNESCO list , a site must have a special cultural or physical significance . The Colosseum , which is also called the Flavian Amphitheatre , was named after a colossal statue that once stood nearby . The structure 'accommodated games of great popular appeal , such as hunts and gladiatorial fights ' until the end of the Ancient Age , according to the Special Superintendency for the Archaeological Heritage of Rome . The organization adds : 'The building was , and still is today , a show in itself . 'In fact , it is the largest amphitheatre not only in the city of Rome but in the world , able to offer stunning sceneries as well as services for spectators . '
The band , aged 21 and 25 , broke away from their tour schedule on Saturday . Tourists used a coin to carve 12 - inch high bronze J and N into the wall . Both charged with ' damage on a building of historical and artistic interest ' They have reportedly apologised saying that they ' regret ' their actions . built in first millennium CE , the Colosseum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site .