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It's easy. Italy. Traveling. The monuments, the food, art, culture...
these are the reasons that people go to Italy. We should talk about something more
substantial. The things about which most people don't know.
So, what? Everyone! Look here. It's an article about
Pompei. It's in trouble?
But why? What's going to happen to it? What's the problem? Listen.
Italy is one of the five most visited countries in the world.
Its famous sights have attracted visitors for centuries:
Americans like us visit such sites, but don't understand what it means to maintain
or preserve them. We appreciate Italy's sites in our photo albums and Facebook pages but do not
see that many of them are deteriorating without the proper care.
UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
globally recognizes culturally or naturally significant sites and seeks to preserve them.
They are called "World Heritage Sites." Italy is home to 47 of these sites.
Italy has most out of any other country. UNESCO provides $4 million per year
to finance the maintenance of its approximately 1000 sites. This quantity
is much too small to care for them all. Therefore, the governments of individual countries must foot the bill.
the bill.
Therein lies the problem. As a result of Europe's ongoing debt crisis,
Italy has been forced to make across-the-board austerity cuts.
To demonstrate the effects of these cuts, let's focus on a very famous example
that now, today, is in dire need of maintenance and money: Pompeii.
The city that was at once destroyed and preserved by the same disaster that occurred
almost 2000 years ago, is threatened to collapse again due to a lack of funds and conservation efforts.
Since 1997, staff has been cut from 279 people to 197,
and in 2010, the "Schola Armaturarum" (Gladiator School) collapsed.
There's a joke that Vittorio Dezza, the head of Legambiente (an Italian conservation group),
said, "60% of the world's culture is in Italy. The rest is safe."
As funny, or sad, that joke may be, without the necessary help, Pompeii,
il Colosseo, il Duomo di Firenze, i Sassi di Matera,
il Pantheon, la torre di Pisa, i canali di Venezia, and many similar landmarks
will vanish. No longer will we have these monuments that represent the history of the
world and they will only be found in old books, old pictures, movies, and myths.
However, this burden doesn't solely belong to Italy. Like UNESCO recognizes
"World Heritage Sites," we should understand that by recognizing a site with this title,
"world heritage," puts the responsibility of conservation of these sites on
our shoulders as well, not just those of Italy. We should be citizens
of the world and should be responsible for our "world heritage."
Italy is not our own personal tourist attraction. The heritage sites in Italy
are not important because they amuse us but because they are important parts
of our history. Furthermore, the wonderful architecture, art, and heritage
in Italy will not last forever, or even into the near future, if we don't take care
of them properly.
So, what can we do? Be an educated tourist. Be a volunteer for UNESCO.
Donate to non-profit organizations like Italia Nostra.
Or to others that are devoted to the restoration and preservation of Italian heritage sites.
And, certainly, learn...