Pompeii in Danger

Posted by Natasha Sheldon Jul 20, 2008

It seems that modern neglect is threatening to finish the job started on Pompeii by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD. The Roman city, declared a UNESCO world heritage site, is slowly crumbling, with many of its buildings and frescos disappearing as a result of inefficient maintenance.

Two thirds of the site has been excavated. However, the remaining third lies buried under a slowly accumulating rubbish dump resulting from the ongoing refuse collection dispute in nearby Naples.

The government are proposing to pump funds into the rescue operation and appoint a special commissioner for the site to overcome the problems of poor management, litter and looting.

The state of emergency is expected to last a year and will not involve closing the site to the general public.