Tourists \'stripping ancient Rome bare\'

[Memmia]

The same happened here with stonehenge, tourists even used to be able to buy a small hammer from the local blacksmith in order to chip off lumps of stone. Farmers also used stones for building etc.
Nowadays you can't get up close to the monument as it is roped off. Maybe they need to put up alarmed fences in front of the monuments in Rome .It's a shame as people who have a real interest will miss out on seeing small details close up. Although if this vandalism carries on, there won't be much left for people to see.