Neglect threatens many of Italy's cherished ruins, tourist sites

ROME -- For all of Italy's ancient wonders, the real wonder might be that so many are still standing, given the poor care they get.

The collapse in Pompeii last week of a frescoed house where gladiators prepared for combat was the latest loss. The structure had survived the explosion of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. but apparently could not withstand modern neglect.

Last spring, a segment of Nero's fabled Golden Palace beneath Rome gave way, raining down pieces of vaulted ceiling in one of the galleries under a garden popular with strollers.

A couple of months ago, three chunks of mortar broke off the Colosseum, hours before the symbol of the Eternal City opened its gates to tourists.

"We are tired of commenting on the continuous collapses and damage to the archaeological heritage of our country," said Giorgia Leoni, president of the Italian Confederation of Archaeologists in a statement after the gladiators' place fell apart Saturday.

On Tuesday, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano cited "terrible negligence" as a chief reason for the national embarrassments.

Italy's Cultural Ministry, which is responsible for repairing ancient monuments and artworks, gets only 0.18 percent of the national budget, according to ministry officials. The number is a startling contrast for a nation that boasts the world's highest number of ruins, churches and other architectural treasures.

Those sites make tourism one of Italy's biggest industries.