Let’s put aside the usual comments: Pompeii, the negligence, a metaphor for Italy, and so on. Let’s instead draw attention to some good, actually great, news: next summer a restoration project will begin, promoted by the Technische Universität in Munich and the Fraunhofer in Stuttgart, the biggest technical research centre in Europe. Ten million euro will be invested to halt Pompeii’s decay (so far, so good) and, above all, to turn it into a research centre for restorers and archaeologists from all over the world. Furthermore, among the related initiatives, there will also be a summer school for the training of hundreds of young archaeologists and restorers every year.
This is why this story excites me. It contains everything we would always like to see: recovery of artistic heritage, international collaboration and training of young students. What about Italy? The NRC (National Research Council) is one of the project partners, and the University of Pisa has also joined the programme. This time, it is true, it wasn’t us who headed the initiative, but that’s ok, what’s important is that something is being done. Next time, I am sure, it will be different.