Italy vows to spend €2m on saving Pompeii
Italy vowed on Tuesday to unblock some €2.0 million to save the long-neglected ruins of Pompeii after rain caused further damage to the UNESCO World Heritage landmark.
Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said he was "unblocking many measures which will get the machine working" amid anger about the slow pace of a multi-million EU-backed project to restore the famous Roman site.
Franceschini's statement came after the Temple of Venus and the walls of a tomb and shop in the archaeological site near Naples were damaged by rainfall on Sunday and Monday.
EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that "every collapse is a huge defeat" and urged Italy "to take care of Pompeii, because it is emblematic not only for Europe but also for the world."
Franceschini stressed that the EU "can be sure that Italy is taking care of Pompeii, both in terms of emergency measures and in the long term."
In addition to the two million euros, Rome has also proposed a tie-up with aerospace and defence giant Finmeccanica to use some of its satellite
technology for site maintenance and weather warnings.
Last year, conservation workers began a 105-million-euro makeover of Pompeii, funded by the EU to the tune of €41.8 million.
But according to the Corriere della Sera daily Tuesday, only €588,000 has been spent so far - just 0.56 percent of the funds.
The project is seen as crucial to the survival of Pompeii after a series of collapses at the 44-hectare site in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius - the
volcano that destroyed the city in 79 AD.
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Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said he was "unblocking many measures which will get the machine working" amid anger about the slow pace of a multi-million EU-backed project to restore the famous Roman site.
Franceschini's statement came after the Temple of Venus and the walls of a tomb and shop in the archaeological site near Naples were damaged by rainfall on Sunday and Monday.
EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that "every collapse is a huge defeat" and urged Italy "to take care of Pompeii, because it is emblematic not only for Europe but also for the world."
Franceschini stressed that the EU "can be sure that Italy is taking care of Pompeii, both in terms of emergency measures and in the long term."
In addition to the two million euros, Rome has also proposed a tie-up with aerospace and defence giant Finmeccanica to use some of its satellite
technology for site maintenance and weather warnings.
Last year, conservation workers began a 105-million-euro makeover of Pompeii, funded by the EU to the tune of €41.8 million.
But according to the Corriere della Sera daily Tuesday, only €588,000 has been spent so far - just 0.56 percent of the funds.
The project is seen as crucial to the survival of Pompeii after a series of collapses at the 44-hectare site in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius - the
volcano that destroyed the city in 79 AD.
Don't miss a story about Italy - Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
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