Franco Malosso Sentenced to Jail for Creating a Fake Ancient Theater in Italy
Franco Malosso has been sentenced to a 28-month jail term for constructing a fraudulent "ancient" theater in Italy's northern Veneto region. The owner and creator of the site, who claimed it was a 2,000-year-old Greek theater, actually built the structure from scratch using 21st-century machines and materials like cement and polystyrene. The theater, which Malosso also called the Anfiteatro Berico, was discovered by local law enforcement in 2016. Experts and archaeologists, including Darius Arya, described the scheme as "diabolical" because the site lacked the hallmarks of true antiquity, such as the correct oval shape of an an amphitheater and a realistic location for Greek ruins. Malosso charged visitors for entry, claiming the site had been visited by historical figures like Julius Caesar and Cleopatra. Following a final appeal to the supreme court, Malosso's conviction was reaffirmed. The site has been sequestered, and Malosso was ordered to tear down the theater, though the local mayor has declined to use public funds for the demolition.