jsmith

So says an article on the BBC website.

"The ruins are among Italy's most-visited tourist attractions
The ancient city of Pompeii has fallen into such disrepair that the Italian government has declared a "state of emergency" in a bid to save the ruins."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7490735.stm

LoveItaly

And as comments on another website said about this..the Italian government can't even get the rubbish problem in Naples taken care of properly so there is not much hope for Pompeii.

jsmith

LoveItaly, as you know rubbish collection in Naples was/is controlled by the Mafia with a significant profit motive.

Probably not the same dynamics for the repair of Pompeii.

Jean

I always thought it amazing that one can wander everywhere in Pompeii and not see more than a handful of "guards" or workers of any kind other than the self-employed guides. "Regular" Italian museums usually have a guard in every gallery room (talking on a cell phone!). I'm not at all surprised that there has been (per the BBC article) looting and deterioration at Pompeii.

There is a Friends of Pompeii organization:

http://www2.pompeiisites.org/databas...2?OpenDocument

But it doesn't seem to operate in the same fund-raising capacity as the Friends of Venice.

LoveItaly

Hello jsmith, yes I do know. But in that everything moves so slowly in Italy I wonder how quickly the government will get anything organized regarding Pompeii. I haven't been to Pompeii for years but I was told oh about six months ago by an Italian friend who now lives in Florence but whose family is still in Naples that mangy hungry dogs roaming around Pompeii are quite a problem. I haven't seen any Fodorite's mention the dogs however.

lanejohann

when we were there in 2005 there were warnings that the damp would take over and ruin what remains of the frescos
so many wondrous sites to be looked after...no wonder the italians are overwhelmed