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The Italian government has been forced to declare a state of emergency at the archeological site of Pompeii because of its severe state of disrepair. "To call the situation intolerable doesn't go far enough," said Culture Minister Sandro Bondi on Friday. She took office in Silvio Berlusconi's new conservative government in May. Bondi issued a cabinet statement saying the government would appoint a special commissioner for Pompeii, a Roman city buried by an eruption of the Vesuvius volcano in 79 A.D. and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Archaeologists and art historians have been decrying the decay at Pompeii for many years. Its upkeep has been strangled by a lack of funds, litter, looting, mismanagement as well as illegal tour guides and stray dogs. Critics say there should be more guards and more drains at the site. The... [read full story]
