The tourists later found themselves to have been cheated when the artefact was found to not have been built before AD393, but rather in the 2000s, the Irish Independent reports. 

The 69-year-old curator of the Berico Maritime Amphitheatre situated near the north-eastern city of Vicenza, has now been given a two-year and four month prison sentence.

Describing himself as a “philanthropist, entrepreneur and orchestra conductor”, Malosso was sentenced for forging artworks, producing artefacts without authorisation as well as breaching building codes.

Malosso had claimed to have discovered the area alongside historical artefacts that date back to the Neolithic, Greek and Roman eras.

Malosso termed the amphitheatre “the oldest and largest, among the most spectacular in the world” in his promotional material, according to local reports. 

Many people had fallen for the lie, with the local government including it in a tourism promotion guide and app, accordingly to Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera. 

However in 2016, the Italian Carabinieri carried out an investigation into the site, which was authorised by the Vicenza prosecutor’s office.

Archaeologists analysed the structure and satellite images and their findings showed the recent alteration in landscape. 

The archaeologists came to the conclusion that there was no ancient structure and that the site was in fact built recently, through the use of artificially-aged blocks of modern stones.
 
A total of €560,000 in damages has been sought by the municipality of Arcugnano. Malosso was also given a €3,000 court fine and ordered to clear the area.