Citizens, Romans, lend me your ears so I can tell you of a book I have called Pompeii, The Living city by Alex Butterworth and Ray Laurence, Ray Laurence also wrote Roman Passions about Rome in the first century.

But I want to talk about Pompeii and recommend Pompeii, the living City and see if anyone else wants to talk about the said mentioned city

Interestingly Pompeii was buried 19 years after Boudica rebellion. I always wondered if any of the Pompeians wrote of Boudica on the walls of the City. They wrote graffiti on everything. Elections Campaigns and who was sleeping with who or who was doing what with who. Those folks talked about everything on their walls so I have wondered if Boudica's was made mention of?

Nero once visited Pompeii in 65 ad I think? I need to re-read that part, it might of been 64 ad. Anyways here is the Pompeii thread. Enjoy your stay in our fair city

And a very wonderful place it is too. My family are currently saving for a return visit.

MadNan wrote:And a very wonderful place it is too. My family are currently saving for a return visit.

Did you take any photos from your last visit? I'd love to see them! I've seen shows on Pompeii and Herculanium over the years and both cities look very fascinating and the scenery looks nice too.

Pompeii and Herculanium are decaying rapidly, partly because much of it is now exposed to the weather but mostly because of the millions of tourists who tramp through every year. The Italian government is also hard pressed to continually finance the upkeep of many of their historical sites.

I read a bit about that in Pompeii, The Living City. I guess now the ruins should be called Pompeii the decaying city.

Elleanor wrote:Pompeii and Herculanium are decaying rapidly, partly because much of it is now exposed to the weather but mostly because of the millions of tourists who tramp through every year. The Italian government is also hard pressed to continually finance the upkeep of many of their historical sites.

Surely this is where group sponsorship from a collection of wealthy nations should step in to save sites of world historical importance?

Given the problems involved in getting those nations to shell out for famine relief, this could be a struggle and I suspect that it would descend into a morass of political point scoring. UNESCO has been bedevilled this way for years.
Perhaps some kind of surcharge on the many commercial outfits that benefit from these sites, either by proximity - have you tried to take a picture of the pyramids or Luxor temple without the 'golden arches' being in it? - or by including them in their tourist itinerary. Is it possible to copy-rite a monument? That could be a nice little earner. Not sponsorship though, I don't fancy the KVC Stonehenge. The difficulty with any scheme however is ensuring that the funds are ring fenced for the conservation and not just general expenditure.

I agree Ferval, totally! A McD's Avebury Ring Meal?

I know the EU has or had a fund that helped finance renovation of historical sites, although I don't know whether it is still operative. Even so many historical sites depend on tourism and on the entrance fees generated to finance (or partly finance) maintenance, but at the same time, it is that very tourism which is the ultimate cause of the majority of the damage. A viscious circle and one that is not easily solved, at least not without substantial and continual government funding, which many countries (in this financial climate) are reluctant or unable to fully provide.

One solution may be to make them all into fun parks! Take the family and enjoy the Big Avebury Onion Ring Burger after a day at the Ample Avebury Amusement Amenities.

I wish that the archaeologists could excavate some of the country villas out in the countryside of Campania that are still buried.

Since the first excavations almost three hundred years ago Pompeii has played a huge role in galvanising a general interest in archaeology, antiquity, history and, in latter years, the importance of preservation. Whole academic disciplines, not to mention industries, have been founded on the basis of this interest. One could almost say that Pompeii, as much as the great discoveries by Europeans in Egypt, played a huge role in the fact that we tend today to accept as self-evident that these subjects are important in terms of understanding our heritage, and that cultures which deviate from the high standards of research and preservation that we proudly aim to adopt do so on grounds of ignorance, malevolence or unfortunate economic circumstances.

However it is already beyond irony that this catalyst for the promotion of an appreciation of these facets of our common heritage is now being destroyed through the attempt of the public at large to share in the experience. It is time Pompeii be thanked for its massive contribution and gracefully "retired" from its participatory role in engendering public enthusiasm. We have, if we desire it, ample enough a record of what has been excavated there to adopt several alternative options should we choose to, and which can still present a riveting and educational experience to an interested public. But it is time the fabric of the extant city be protected for posterity, and a genuinely interested and educated public should understand that.

There is, in short, no good reason anymore for Pompeii to be open either to the elements or the public.

I have to say that I agree, Nordmann.

They should make a replica for people to look at.