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Pompeii, that ancient Roman city covered and preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, has captivated historians, professional and amateur alike, for centuries. Unfortunately, the actual site has had incredibly bad luck with weather as another landslide hit a wall in the beloved Italian region.
The Associated Press reports heavy rains led to a landslide of a retaining wall located at the house of Severus in Pompeii.
The scant portion of good news is that the area was empty at the time. The report states, "Italian officials on Wednesday said the affected area falls within the 'Great Pompeii' joint EU-Italian restoration project and had been already closed to the public."
At the time of the report, officials were "assessing the ancient site to determine areas at particular risk for collapse."
World News Tonight has an image of the landslide:
While this alone would be cause for alarm for such a treasured and historic location, it's especially troubling when you consider the long list of predicaments suffered by Pompeii.
Ansa.it, in reporting the latest landslide, chronicles other recent issues suffered by the beleaguered area.
In March of last year heavy rain saw a wall collapse in a "Roman-era shop," which came just days after walls at both the Temple of Venus and Porta Nocera suffered a similar fate.
Structural failings also happened at the House of the Gladiators (2010), Villa of the Mysteries (2012) and around the Via dell'Abbondanza (2013).
The report purports issues extend beyond the occasional downpour of rain: "Pompeii has been plagued for decades by accusations of mismanagement, neglect and even infiltration by the local Camorra mafia."
The ongoing menace of tomb raiders is also listed among the various problems facing Pompeii's conservation.
Whether from weather, criminal act or just plain apathy, a city entombed and preserved for centuries seemingly needs careful maintenance now more than ever.
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