“By damaging the Colosseum, I acted senselessly, stupidly and badly, to the detriment of other visitors,” he wrote in Italian in the letter, translated by The Washington Post. “I have no excuse.”
Dimitrov wrote that he would accept responsibility for his actions and recognized the site’s “incomparable artistic and historical importance”.
“I am very ashamed to admit that it was only after this tragic event that I came to appreciate how old this monument is,” he wrote.
Dimitrov’s lawyer, Alexandro Maria Tirelli, said in a message that he had made a plea bargain request that would keep his client in prison. He said the prosecutor agreed to no jail time, although the plea was still being negotiated.
Prosecutors and representatives of the Carabinieri, Italy’s national police, could not be reached Thursday afternoon. The Associated Press reported last week that authorities used the photos to identify the man as a visitor living in Britain.
Dimitrov’s face can be seen in a video that went viral in late June, where he used a key to write “Ivan + Hayley 23” on a wall. The American visitor who took the video, Ryan Lutz, told NBC News that he was “shocked” and alerted security about the incident.
“I want to agree for this guy who is just learning a lesson,” Lutz told the news outlet. “You don’t respect the host countries.”
Italian officials expressed their anger online, along with culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano tweeting that the act is “a sign of great inadequacy” and the tourism minister Daniela Santanchè States on Twitter that he hopes the tourist will face sanctions.
Italy’s ANSA news agency reported that penalties for the damage could include up to five years in prison and fines of more than $16,000.