Tourist vehicles are prohibited from the 2,000-year-old site, a once-bustling Roman settlement that was destroyed in a volcanic eruption in AD 79.
The incident happened on Wednesday and police say the 33-year-old tourist has been charged with “unauthorised access”.
“No danger to visitors or the site was posed at any time. The incident ended after only a few minutes thanks to the efficient patrol service of the archaeological park,” police said in a statement.
The Italian media reacted with fury to the incident, calling the Australian a “barbarian” even though he traveled on no original roads and no property was damaged.
Authorities believe the man, who later apologized, entered the site through a gate used by maintenance vehicles.
This is only the latest episode of rule-breaking at Pompeii. In 2020, another tourist angered locals by stepping on an old building to take a selfie. The woman was never identified.
