An Italian scam artist has been imprisoned for constructing a counterfeit Roman amphitheatre and charging visitors £35.
Franco Malosso ‘von Rosenfranz’ asserted that the location was the world’s oldest open-air amphitheatre near Vicenza, boasting ruins of columns, stone steps, and statues purportedly predating 393 AD.
However, an inquiry revealed that the alleged ancient artifacts only dated back to the early 2000s, crafted using materials like fibreglass and papier-mâché to give the appearance of age, with the man-made lake also being part of the deception.
Malosso, aged 69, spun intricate tales to tourists about historical figures supposedly frequenting his amphitheatre, including Roman Emperor Julius Caesar and Juliet Capulet from Romeo and Juliet.
Despite self-proclaiming as a “philanthropist, entrepreneur, and orchestra conductor,” Malosso managed to deceive even the local government, getting the fake site included in a tourism app funded by the EU.
He claimed to have unearthed the Berico Maritime Amphitheatre, discovering Neolithic, Greek, and Roman artifacts after a landslide in 2005, as reported by Corriere della Serra.
Promotional material touted the amphitheatre as “the oldest and largest, among the most spectacular in the world.”
The elaborate hoax began to unravel in 2016 when police initiated an investigation, leading archaeologists to confirm the absence of ancient structures and that Malosso had artificially leveled the hill.
Instead of confessing, Malosso fabricated wilder claims, including a blog post in 2017 alleging mafia involvement and multiple murders at the site.
In a bid to mislead authorities, he also asserted in 2016 that the amphitheatre underwent restoration in the 19th century.
After a decade-long legal battle, Malosso was finally sentenced to two years and four months in prison, plus a €3,000 fine, for illegal construction, art forgery, and unauthorized artifact production. He was also instructed to clear the area.