London parkour team banned from Venice now accused of damaging 10,000 year old Unesco heritage site

A parkour team from London have been accused of damaging a Unesco world heritage site in Italy after being 'banned' from Venice

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Georgina Cutler

By Georgina Cutler


Published: 19/06/2024

- 10:27

One clip appears to show the free-runner attempting to land a jump when part of a preserved building falls off

A parkour team from London have been accused of damaging a Unesco world heritage site in Italy after being "banned" from Venice.

Videos shared online appear show free-runner Devon McIntosh bouncing off roofs in the city of Matera - a protected site dating back 10,000 years.


One clip appears to show the 23-year-old attempting to land a jump when part of a preserved building falls off.

The incident saw him hit the ground - causing him minor injuries.

One clip appears to show the 23-year-old attempting to land a jump when part of a preserved building falls off

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McIntosh has been creating videos alongside nine other parkour athletes from London which make up Team Phat.

The group perform risky acrobatics for their 200,000 followers on Instagram.

Earlier this year, Klaus Guip - another member of the group - told fans: "We’ve been banned from Venice, so we can never go back."

A city-wide search was launched across Venice after a free-runner was spotted jumping off a three-storey building into the water in a separate incident last year.

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Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro described the person jumping as a "delinquent [who] risked his life".

He added: "They don’t understand the danger they create in this city. What if a boat would have been passing below?"

The group selected Matera for their next trip because of its similarities to Venice.

Guip said the city was "the closest thing to it but it has no water".

The incident saw Devon McIntosh hit the ground - causing him minor injuries

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A video of McIntosh’s fall has caused a stir online, with many condemning their actions.

Luca Tommassini, a choreographer from Rome who has worked with Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson wrote: "It’s a Unesco world heritage site.

"How dare you? Do you know where you are and what you are touching? Matera should not be used as a parkour park. That stone could have been there when America was discovered, or even before."

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