World’s attention focused on Pompeii
P(ANSA) – Rome, April 15 – With the world’s attention focused on restoration work at the iconic Pompeii archaeological site, the pressure is on to not only repair structures but also to improve transparency and accountability in financial affairs, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said Tuesday.BRSpeaking to the Lower House Culture committee, Franceschini said the challenge is to ensure that procurement rules are in place and coordinated between different organizations working at the site.BRManagement of the European Union-funded Great Pompeii Project and the Italian superintendent of archaeology and culture responsible for 2,000-year-old Pompeii use different methods of procurement contracting, he noted.BRThat has raised some concerns, he acknowledged, but shouldn’t affect the overall projects.BR”My intention is not to question the organizational structure (of the two bodies),” Franceschini told the committee.BR”I’m working for a total integration of these two (agencies)…Pompeii now has the world spotlight focused on it,” he added. The European Commission has pledged 105 million euros for repairs and restoration under the ambitious Great Pompeii Project for the world-famous site, created when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, preserving the entire city in ash.BRPompeii has been plagued for decades by accusations of mismanagement, neglect and even infiltration by the local Camorra mafia.BRThe site grabbed fresh attention last month when heavy rains led to several reports of collapsed walls, soon after UNESCO warnings that the miraculously preserved ancient city could “completely fall apart” and lose its world heritage status unless urgent action was taken.BRThat triggered government pledges to speed up tendering for work on other new surveillance and protection measures for the site. There has been a long and worrying catalogue of bits of Pompeii falling off.BRFor example, in November 2010 the House of the Gladiators came down, prompting Italian President Giorgio Napolitano to say: “This is a disgrace for the whole of Italy”.BR/P
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