By Philip Pullella,- Reuters
ROME, Nov 6, 2010 (Reuters) - The
2,000-year-old "House of the Gladiators" in the ruins of ancient
Pompeii collapsed on Saturday, sparking fresh debate on whether the government
is doing enough to safeguard a world treasure.
The stone house, on the main street of the
famous archaeological site and measuring about 80 square metres (860 square
feet), collapsed just after dawn while Pompeii was closed to visitors, officials
said.
Custodians discovered the collapse when
they opened the UNESCO World Heritage site for the day.
The building was damaged by bombs during
World War Two and was restored in the late 1940s. Officials speculated that the
collapse may have been caused by heavy rains.
The structure was believed to be where
gladiators gathered and trained and used as a club house before going to battle
in a nearby amphitheatre in the city that was destroyed by an eruption of Mount
Vesuvius in 79 AD.
Known officially by its Latin name
"Schola Armaturarum Juventus Pompeiani," the structure was not open
to visitors but was visible from the outside as tourists walked along one of
the ancient city’s main streets.
Its walls were decorated with frescoes of
military themes.
Roberto Cecchi, undersecretary at the
culture ministry, said that from first checks it appeared that parts of
frescoes on the lower walls might be saved.
Measures were being taken to thwart further
collapse, officials said.
DECAY, GARBAGE AND LOOTING
Art historians and residents for years have
complained that the archaeological sites at Pompeii, among the world’s most
important, were in a state of decay and needed better maintenance.
Two years ago the government declared a
state of emergency for Pompeii. It lasted for about a year and allowed for
extra funds and special measures but critics have said the special intervention
was badly managed.
In his statement on the collapse, Cecchi
vented his frustrations, saying "this latest episode of disorder" proved
that sites like Pompeii needed constant monitoring and could not be maintained
though ad hoc measures.
Opposition politicians were quick to
criticise the government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, particularly
Culture Minister Sandro Bondi, for the site’s degradation.
Archaeologists and art historians have long
complained about the poor upkeep of Pompeii, dogged by lack of investment,
mismanagement, litter and looting.
Bogus tour guides, illegal parking
attendants and stray dogs also plague visitors.
Some 2.5 million tourists visit Pompeii
each year, making it one of Italy’s most popular attractions, and many have
expressed shock at the site’s decay.
Two-thirds of the 66-hectare (165-acre)
town, home to some 13,000 people in the Roman era, have been uncovered since
serious excavations began some 260 years ago.
The remaining third is still buried and
many modern building have been constructed over it.
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