A man built a fan-shaped building, similar to a theater, in Arcugnano, in northeastern Italy, and presented it as an ancient Greek amphitheater discovered on the site. For two years, tourists paid tickets to visit the site, where concerts, guided tours were held and stories about Julius Caesar and Cleopatra were told.
The building had several inconsistencies that indicated it was a forgery. Its shape was fan-like, characteristic of a theater, and not the typical oval shape of an amphitheater. Furthermore, the colonies founded by the ancient Greeks in Italy are located much further south, making the existence of a Greco-Roman monument in that region unlikely.
An archaeologist consulted on the case commented that "you cannot dig up antiquities in your backyard," underscoring the impossibility of an ancient amphitheater having remained unknown until supposedly discovered by that man.
The person responsible for building the fake amphitheater ended up being arrested, putting an end to the fraudulent scheme that deceived visitors for two years.
