Tourist scrawls name with make-up on Florence Cathedral

A 48-year-old Japanese tourist was stopped by police after writing her name on Florence's iconic Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Italy.

The woman was spotted scrawling her name and the day's date onto the Duomo's marble on Monday.

According to The Local, staff alerted police who charged her with defacing the religious building. She was freed on bail and did not cause permanent damage to the cathedral as she used eyeliner.

The cathedral was built in 1436 and was designed by architect Filippo Brunelleschi. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of Italy's most famous tourist attractions.

In March, two American tourists were arrested in Rome after carving their initials into the Colosseum.

The Californian tourists, 21 and 25, reportedly snuck away from their tour group and managed to carve the eight-centimetre-high 'J' and 'N' into a wall on the west side of the amphitheatre before taking a selfie with their handiwork.

However, they were spotted by other tourists, who alerted security, who in turn called the police.

The young women, whose names were not released, were cited for "aggravated damage to a building of historical and artistic interest".

The pair reportedly told police they did not realise the act was "something so serious", although there are signs warning against vandalism throughout the site.