Pompeii collapse: PM Matteo Renzi calls on business people to fund repairs

Italian PM Matteo Renzi has called on business people to fund repairs to the ancient city of Pompeii.

Matteo Renzi made the plea after heavy rainfall caused flooding the UNESCO World Heritage site, damaging walls and buildings.

Pompeii, where volcanic ash smothered a Roman city in AD79, has suffered slow degradation for many years.

On Tuesday, Italy’s culture minister said he would unblock 2 million euros ($2.7 million) “to get the machine working”.

Priority will also be given to work to reduce the risk of flooding in unexcavated areas.

Matteo Renzi made the request for funding at a news conference on Wednesday.

The Italian government has already called upon the private sector to help restore other ancient monuments, including the Colosseum in Rome and the Trevi fountain.

Italy’s culture budget has suffered from cutbacks in recent years, leading the UN and EU to issue warnings about the state of the country’s historical sites.

The ancient city of Pompeii is one of the world’s greatest archaeological treasures. Every year, some 2.5 million tourists visit the site, near the southern city of Naples.

A 105 million-euro ($145 million) “Great Pompeii” rehabilitation project was launched in 2013, with the EU contributing 41.8 million euros. However, one Italian newspaper said on Tuesday that only 588,000 euros had been spent.