Overview

• A 24-year-old German tourist was stopped by Carabinieri while carrying a 30 kg marble column base on an electric rental scooter in Rome.
• The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon on Via Vittorio Veneto near Villa Borghese and the Trevi Fountain.
• Cultural heritage experts identified the marble piece as a historical and artistic artifact protected under Italian law.
• The tourist faces charges of handling stolen cultural goods as prosecutors prepare legal proceedings.
• Investigators are working to determine the provenance of the artifact and how it came into the tourist's possession.