History Falling to Ruins: Call for Conservation at Pompeii

When considering the ancient city of Pompeii, Italy, one of the first words people often associate with the culture and landscape is “preservation.” A basic understanding of the site tells us that nearly two thousand years ago, on 24 August 79 AD, the active volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted, covering the nearby cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum with mud, ash, lapilli, and poisonous gases. Though fatal to most of the inhabitants at the time, many of the artistic endeavors and cultural practices, as well as the layout of the city itself, were preserved due to the layers of volcanic discharge that engulfed the area in a short period of time. Despite these incredible historical happenstances, however, scholars today are forced to question whether this preservation can last the test of time now that much of the site has been uncovered. Past issues in financial support, lack of skilled conservationists, and no significant program for preservation have been detrimental to the conservation of this historically important site.

Need for greater conservation efforts at Pompeii has become more well known worldwide with the recent collapse of the House of the Gladiators (Schola Armaturarum Juventus Pompeiani) in November 2010 and the subsequent fall of a garden wall in the House of the Moralist a few weeks later. This travesty served as the break point for a long line of problems at the site, including improper and unpublished archaeological sites, inconsiderate tourists, insufficient cultural funding, and unsound past conservation attempts. Though these issues have persisted for some time, widespread knowledge of the need to take care of the Italian cultural heritage is vital. The government had previously focused primarily on marketing tourism of the site. While tourism is an important aspect of Italian commerce and the life of Pompeii, without proper conservation practices there will no longer be a site for the tourists to visit. It is already the case that many of the houses are closed to the public due to the unstable conditions of the structure. To solve this problem, it seems logical that the money acquired through tourism at the site should be filtered into conservation. This would allow for improved preservation of the site, which would bring in more tourism and then generate greater revenue.

Outside of the economics of the southern archaeological site itself, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi added to the financial troubles of the art and archaeology world when he cut nearly forty percent of the arts and culture budget (upwards of $398 million over the next three years) to the lowest it has ever been. With the collapse of the House of the Gladiators coming in the aftermath of this detrimental financial decision, along with questionable spending of state funds to support the careers of female actresses and dancers of personal relation to the Prime Minister, the Italian government and people have called Berlusconi’s negligence for preserving national heritage to attention. He has further revealed his misappropriation of taxpayers’ money with an approximately $95000 payment to have a statue restored for his office. Whether by replacing the fiscally irresponsible Prime Minister or by calling to question the ineptitude of the Culture Minister Sandro Bondi, it is clear that the Italian government, and accordingly Pompeii, desperately needs a representative who will place the conservation of the site and the preservation of historical and cultural heritage as a priority.

Major conservation efforts on the part of the government have not come into effect since additional funding was given to the site two years ago. Unfortunately, due to problems with the Superintendency or other workers on site at the time, the plan for conservation was poorly designed and executed. Moreover, the Superintendency is presently understaffed and lacks the skilled professionals – architects, engineers, technical specialists, and conservation specialists - needed to carry out conservation projects. Because of this, even if there were adequate funding for preserving the site, there would not be competent personnel to carry out the necessary tasks for conservation. Additionally, the staff that is available needs to be given the confidence and inspiration to carry out necessary action. Without willing attendants, improvements will never be made.


Notable archaeologist and former head of Superintendency Piero Guzzo brought new prospects of conservation to the southern archaeological sites when he approved external fiscal assistance from Dr. David Packard of Packard Humanities Institute for conserving the site of Herculaneum. Since 2001, the Herculaneum Conservation Project has addressed the infrastructure problems on the site by improving the roofing and water distribution after inclement weather. They have also conducted scientific studies to eliminate risks in preservation practices and have set up sustainable programs for future conservation. The program has been working alongside archaeologists to maintain excavation discoveries that have led to better understanding of the historical significance of the city. Progress at this site has laid the framework for the actions necessary for effective conservation at Pompeii.

Priority needs to be on improving the infrastructure of the ancient city as well as the structure supporting the fragile walls and floors still in existence. Providing a way to export water from the houses is important for preserving the mud-infused walls, paintings, frescoes, and tiled floors. The conservationists on the site have to focus their attention on smaller more manageable projects to ensure completion and sustainability. There needs to be a system of constant renovation and conservation to maintain the development of the site year round. Something as simple as unblocking a gutter or maintaining a systematic database for documenting past and future work will make a world of difference for an effective program.

Fortunately in recent years, the Herculaneum Conservation Project has shown the effectiveness of continuous preservation programs that take the needs of the site into consideration and utilize the knowledge of the people who work directly with the remains. Hopefully the future work on Pompeii will do the same and irrational decisions in light of the fallen walls will be limited. Utilizing the information and pride that comes from the custodi who serve as cultural security for the sites will be highly beneficial for any who strive to improve what is left of the incredible ancient city.

Pompeii annually receives around 2.5 million visitors. With this many spectators, one would hope those overseeing the site would be ashamed of its falling homes and deteriorating paintings. The site is one of Italy’s most extensive examples of ancient Roman culture and should be taken care of as such. With the major devastation that befell the city in the past year, however, more attention will hopefully be paid to reasonable conservation efforts. Though it will be a long process, the continuous maintenance of the site will serve to preserve a culture that has had a lasting influence on art and antiquity and has the potential to survive for another two thousand years if we care for it properly.