The Collapse of a Roman Building in Pompei
Newagencies all over the world testified to the collapse of a Roman building within the complex of the Schola Armaturarum Juventus Pompeiani in the renowned city of Pompeii. The building may have survived earthquakes, volcano eruptions, wars, the Camora and almost 2.500.000 tourists a year but it has not survived the recent abundant rains! At least, this is what the Italian Minister of Culture, Sandro Bondi, claimed.
It is obvious to me that the rains had nothing to do with the incompetence of the Italian government and the negligence that Silvio Berlusconi shows with regard to the National monuments. The National Association of Archaeologists and his president, Tsao Cevoli, already expressed their rage at the current turn of events. We all agree that the damage is irreparable and that an important part of our Heritage is lost. Instead of lamenting the state of Pompei, though, we should turn our eyes to the about-to-collapse Collosseum. I am almost certain that the celebrated amphitheater may be next in line, since it faces similar problems with most of Pompeii’s buildings. So, is Berlusconi going to wait until we mourn the collapse of another Roman construction, or is he going to take positive action?
My sentiments, exactly! I hope the Italian government would take this collapse seriously and do whatever there’s left to do before another heritage turn to sheer rubbles.