By FRANCES D’EMILIO
Associated Press
ROME – Italy is rich in ancient wonders, but the real wonder may 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 archaeological accident waiting to happen. The structure was a piece of storied past that had survived the furious explosion of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. – but apparently could not withstand modern-day neglect.
“We’re stunned when some walls fall down. But these are ruins not systematically maintained, so the miracle is that so few of them collapse,” said Andrea Carandini, a world-renowned archaeologist who leads a panel of professional consultants in the Cultural Ministry.