Wake up call Pompeii

12/03/2010 - 20:43

I find it extraordinary that nobody has commented on the (okay, limited) collapses of walls and roofs in Pompeii, and I was delighted to see that the Italy Mag newsletter used this as a headline. It isn't as if this is 'brand new' news - about a month ago the roof of the house of the gladiators fell in, but in the last week we have heard of collapses of 'garden' walls on a half hourly basis. It has been very wet, fair enough, and the Italian press hastens to assure us that these are pretty unimportant walls, and today some officials from Unesco (Pompeii being a world heritage site) turned up to do an inspection (press absolutely not allowed). I take the view that Italy has just far too much heritage to manage, but of course la bella figura (yeah, that is what Berlusconi does) makes it tricky for them to accept assistance - but come on Unesco! It is on the one hand a big tourist push - every destination wants to be on the Unesco heritage list - but if Unesco (justifiably on aesthetic grounds) lands Italy with 50% of the world's sites - surely they should fling a buck or two Italy's way?

Topic

Travel

Society

Comment

Italy cannot maintain all of its artistic and archaelogical treasures. Something will need to be done very soon or many of them may be lost.

Italy spends one of the smallest amounts of GDP in Europe on protecting its heritage, a full percentage point less than France for example, which amounts to billions in real terms. Simple maths would help- The tourist economy is based on the art treasures, - no art treasures=no tourists. Unfortunately the governments over the last ten years have been blind to any investment needed. Last week the mediaset tv trumpeted the success of an Italian businessman who is offering 20 million to 'rescue' the Colisseum. The rest of the press, and the foreign press told of the pathetic gara which resulted in just one sponsor coming forward with nowhere near enough money for the job. The truth remains out there... Some sort of PPP for the biggest sites is required, but at what cost. Already the public are up in arms about the giant hoardings all over Venice which pay for some of the conservation works going on behind them. However, Pompei is a world heritage site - 40% remains to be excavated, and what there is on show is in a pitiful state. Its not just lack of central govt funding, but regional incompetence and local powerlessness. And of course the Camorra. If the govt actually gave the money from the state lottery to the deserving causes its meant to, things might be better, but of course its all put into a large hole in Rome and never seen again. The main problem is that Italian economic policy is all shadows and mirrors, and nothing is designed to last until after the next election. Also, and here the fault is Bondi the culture ministers - a complete lack of stewardship. Directors leave and are not replaced, the staff has no incentive and less morale and are rarely paid. Like most things, pompei is relying on volunteers and a few bucks from foreign tv documentary crews to keep it ticking over. In the meantime French schoolchildren put most of it in their rucksacks to take home. Pompei receives 2.5 million visitors a year - but runs on goodwill and the sale of bottled water. On the other hand, when Vesuvio blows the next time, it is highly likely that pompei will dissappear again so you could ask what is the point? - Id say it is something to give Italians pride in their country, and at the moment they need that. But chucking some UN money at it wont solve the problem, it is a much more profound malaise than a collapsed wall.

Well - I am very pleased that my initial post has generated so many good responses, and so much intelligent discussion/understanding/polemic about the issue of managing the heritage of Italy. Aside from the (undisputed) corruption in the awarding of contracts for maintenance, I do think there is something else going on. I recently visited a number of Unesco World Heritage sites in Japan - and about the first schematic one was confronted by (at any monument) included the proud statement that this was a "World Heritage Site" That should mean something, but I'm so sorry that in Italy it simply is another tourist stamp like a 'blue flag' beach, and never appears on the 'front page'. And to answer the question whether Italy has anything akin to the 'National Trust' - sadly the answer is a more than half no. So many of the important monuments are in the 'care' of the 'State' (and thus political baubles); though there are a few privately owned (or owned by foundations) sites which are dependent on private (or maybe University type funding), and even fewer which have managed to organise themselves into a 'self funding' situation (generally some sort of agriturismo symbiosis). And as for 'English Heritage' - Italy has a department for paying half dead architects excessive salaries for getting in everybody's way, it carries on its charade under the name of Sovrintedenza dei Belli Arti. Yeh - you have encountered them.

No Italy cant maintain its important monuments as they have a joker 'running' the counrty! This is why they should be prevented from having anything more to do with Pompeii which UNESCO should take over so it isn't completely lost for future generations! What Italy needs as Ram points out is someone or something to give them pride in their country one of the most beautiful on this planet but now sadly left to rot in the case of Pompeii or to crass 'developement' in the rest of the country.

..'What Italy needs as Ram points out is someone or something to give them pride in their country one of the most beautiful on this planet....' I seems to me the last person that gave pride to the Italians was Mussolini, so be careful what you wish for....

Does Italy have anything like our National trust,English Heritage?

Italy's NT is called FAI - it is a completely voluntary organsation that has very little support, but has an open house weekend every April and does buy up certain monnuments that would otherwise be lost to the state. It is completely ignored by central govt. It needs some famous faces to help it and a few good benefactors...

Maybe George Clooney could make a donation? He has a house in the Italian lakes. Also he is a progressive who supports good causes. Although being photographed shaking hands with a grateful Berlusconi might be a step too far...

I believe that Italy needs and deserves far much more than an individual donation. There is so much art and beauty in need of preservation that it would be like a drop in the ocean. I don't think that the problem would be in raising funds, rather the proper administration of those funds. The main problem is that the Italian government needs to ask for this help and they are unlikely to do it. "Bella figura"... and the usual excuses. Meanwhile, those masterpieces are deteriorating and we are all loosing some part of our heritage.