Dutch tourist used marker to deface ancient Roman site at Herculaneum.

A Dutch tourist has been cited by Italian police for writing a graffiti tag on the walls of an ancient Roman domus at the archaeological park of Herculaneum near Naples.

The 27-year-old man, who daubed the frescoed Roman wall with a permanent black marker, was immediately identified and reported for damaging and defacing a cultural heritage site.

Herculaneum, an ancient Roman seaside resort located south of Naples, was buried along with its more famous neighbour Pompeii by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Sfregia pareti domus Scavi #Ercolano: immediatamente identificato e denunciato per danneggiamento e imbrattamento di opere artistiche. pic.twitter.com/fnNn9tu7NY

— Gennaro Sangiuliano (@g_sangiuliano) June 3, 2024

The incident occurred at the UNESCO World Heritage Site on Sunday when Italy's state-run museums and archaeological sites were open for free to celebrate the Festa della Repubblica national holiday.

Last summer a tourist sparked outrage in Italy and around the world after he was filmed carving his name and that of his girlfriend into a wall at the Colosseum in Rome.

• Tourists behaving badly in Italy

The man, a 27-year-old Bulgarian fitness instructor living in the UK, was tracked down by Italian police within days of carving "Ivan+Hayley 23” onto the Roman landmark.

Informed that he risked a fine of €15,000 and a jail term of up to five years, the man wrote a letter of apology to the city of Rome which included the bizarre claim that he was unaware the Colosseum was ancient.

Earlier this year the Italian parliament approved tough new fines of up to €60,000 on those who damage or deface the country's monuments and heritage sites.