Italy: Hundreds of heritage sites at risk amid funding shortages • FRANCE 24 English

These images have become commonplace in Italy with an increase in the number of incidents involving falling debris from church and monument facads, including a piece of marble falling from the porch of a church in the heart of Rome and a pediment crumbling onto tourists in Palmo, causing minor injuries and giving the impression each time that a disaster has narrowly been averted. The partial collapse of this medieval tower last Monday near the forum in Rome killed one of the workers involved in its renovation. That raised concern among the tens of thousands of tourists who visit the forum each day. If something like that can happen, it could definitely happen again. The concern is shared by this architect. He walks just a short distance away from the damaged tower to point to a villa built in the 16th century. Look, the windows are open. Completely open. This villa has been abandoned for 50 years. Inside are the important Zukari frescos. Of course, it’s dangerous. The architect and his association have identified more than 430 monuments in danger across Italy, including this section of the Aurelian Wall built in the 3rd century, which has been completely abandoned. While Italy has the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage monuments, recent governments, including Georgia Maloney, have continually reduced maintenance funding. Italy currently spends less public money as a percentage of GDP on culture and heritage than other European countries. UNESCO this summer called on its league to invest heavily and develop a clear strategy to better protect its heritage and cultural tourism.

Heritage preservation groups in Italy are raising the alarm — nearly 450 historic sites are reportedly at risk due to age and insufficient maintenance funding. Just days ago, a 13th-century tower collapsed in central Rome, killing one person and seriously injuring three others. The tragedy has renewed calls for support from the private sector and the European Union. This report from our sister channel France 2 is narrated by Nick Rushworth.
#Italy #heritage #Rome

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