"House of the Gladiators" Collapses

On Saturday November 6, 2010, there was some sad news from the city of Pompeii.  The "House of the Gladiators" has collapsed.

Apparently, the structure had previously been damaged in WWII bombings and was restored in the late 1940s.  For years, archaeologists have been pleading with the Italian government to do more to safeguard the precious ruins of Pompeii.

About two thirds of Pompeii has been excavated in the past 260 years but a lack of investment and management by the government has allowed much of the excavated ruins to be damaged.  About 2.5 million tourists visit Pompeii each year so you'd think there would be more willingness on the part of the government to preserve the site.

The "House of the Gladiators" was about 80 square metres.  It was decorated with frescoes in military themes.  A representative from the Italian Ministry of Culture has said that it might be possible to preserve pieces of the frescoes from the lower walls.