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The Italian government has called for an emergency meeting to discuss how to save the ancient city of Pompeii from further ruin, following fresh collapses at the weekend.
The Culture Minister has asked officials to explain why a tomb wall and part of an arch fell down after heavy rain. Several other features have collapsed over the past three months.
Dario Franceschini, appointed last month in the new government of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, summoned officials responsible for the site to Rome for an “emergency meeting” on Tuesday.
He said he wanted a report on the reasons for the latest collapses and would verify routine maintenance at Pompeii as well as the progress of an ambitious restoration project launched last year with European Union funds.
Italian media have highlighted the contrast between the management of Pompeii and a successful exhibition about the ancient Roman city at the British Museum in London last year, which attracted record numbers of visitors.
Pompeii, a UNESCO World heritage site, was home to about 13,000 people when it was buried under ash, pumice pebbles and dust as it endured the force of an eruption equivalent to 40 atomic bombs.
Two-thirds of the 66-hectare (165-acre) town has since been uncovered. The site attracts more than 2 million tourists each year, making it one of Italy’s most popular attractions.
Agencies/Canadajournal
