Restoration of Pompeii slated to begin next week

The long-awaited restoration of the Pompeii archaeological site will begin on February 6, the authorities said Wednesday.

Aerial view of Pompeii [Credit: Web]

An agreement on how to proceed at the UNESCO World Heritage site has been finalized and more details will be coming, said Fabrizio Barca, minister for territorial cohesion.

The so-called the Grande Progetto Pompei or Great Pompeii Project is to secure and improve access to the ruins of Pompeii.

It has financial backing from the European Commission, as well as the Italian government.

That includes about 105 million euros for restoration and conservation works at the world-famous site which has come to symbolize the failings of the Italian state after some of the area's most famous buildings collapsed in November 2010.

More recently, a piece of a modern wall structure bordering the ancient site of Pompeii collapsed following heavy rains, which shifted some of the ground underneath the wall section.

The site has been falling into decay for some time and after recent collapses in the past two years, there has been growing concern about Italy's ability to protect it.

Last spring, Italian Premier Mario Monti pledged that the project will "secure the site's damaged areas and ... ensure that this is done using capable, honest businesses, not organized crime".

Source: ANSA [January 30, 2013]

TANN

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