Italy Vows to Save Pompeii by Unblocking 2.0 Million Euros

Italy vowed on Tuesday to unblock some 2.0 million euros ($2.8 million) and save the long-neglected ruins of Pompeii, the UNESCO World Heritage landmark, which was damaged further by rain.

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.

Italian Government Assures UNESCO That Efforts are Being Made to Restore Pompeii
The country’s culture minister assured the United Nations organization that the country will not be abandoning the long-neglected Roman city.

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."

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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 euros.

'Microbial Pompeii' Unlocked by Scientists
A 'microbial Pompeii' preserved on the teeth of skeletons around 1,000 years old has been discovered by an international team of researchers.

But according to the Corriere della Sera daily Tuesday, only 588,000 euros 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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The people of the ancient city of Pompeii enjoyed eating delicacies like flamingos while leaving the poor scrounging for soup or gruel, archaeologists have found

Source-AFP