Authorities have
come up with a new plan to control visitors and raise money for the ancient
site. Italians don't like the idea because it's too "American".
The excavated
rooms of the Fullonica of Stephanus
wool factory are home to some of Pompeii's
best-preserved artifacts. Against one wall the terracotta basins used to wash
wool with a mixture of water and urine "a winning formula before soap was
developed" offer a rare glimpse into Pompeian life before the disastrous
eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. But on
a recent morning these stunning chambers became the scene of a clash of a
different kind. On one side French tourists were trying to get out. On the
other German visitors were trying to get in. They met, and got stuck, in the
room's narrow doorway. After much elbowing, shoving and cursing,
umbrella-wielding tour guides broke the impasse. The bottleneck, however,
underscores one of Pompeii's
most serious problems: overcrowding.
Pompeii's haunting ruins are one
of the world's most important ongoing archaeological digs, attracting nearly
2.6 million visitors each year. Not surprisingly, the site is a major source of
national pride among Italians, who strive to showcase heritage sites without
sullying their historical context. Like many Italian excavations, Pompeii's accessibility
allows tourists to wander through the ancient ruins unhindered-provided they
can find the elbow room. Now local officials have come up with a controversial
plan to fix the chronic crunch. Campania's
new regional heritage councilor, Claudio Velardi,
wants to limit visitors to the site and offer the newly freed-up space as a
venue to rent to large foreign corporations. "My idea is very
precise," Velardi told NEWSWEEK. "By
programming the number of visitors we could, first, make the Pompeii experience better for everyone. But
we could also increase revenue by offering an
opportunity for someone like Google or Microsoft to use the site for a private
event."
Indeed, Velardi has already had talks with both these tech giants
about renting Pompeii
for sponsored and private events, even though he faces an admittedly tough
battle to get governmental approval to use a public site for any private
non-Italian use. Undeterred, he also plans to talk to Pixar
and Warner Bros. about leasing the ruins as movie sets after Roman Polanski's film "Pompeii," which is stalled in
production, was shot in Spain. Velardi has a long
list of other multinational companies that he believes would be interested and
able to afford what he refers to only as an "astronomical" rental
fee. "This is Pompeii,
after all," he says. "It is obviously a venue that would command a
major investment."
In most countries
this might seem like a sensible suggestion. But in Italy the proposal is seen as
absurd and has become a lightning rod for a broader political debate about
whether the nation's archeological treasures are going to become backdrops for
American-style theme parks. Italian heritage sites have always been run
according to strict rules meant to protect their integrity. To many Italians
the notion of any sort of commercial meddling by outsiders "especially
American concerns that may "Disneyfy" a
site like Pompeii"
will detract from its aesthetic and cultural value. "We face an incredible
battle to do what would, in the end, be the best thing for Pompeii," says Velardi.
"The opposition is completely closed to the idea because they see it as
selling Pompeii
rather than enhancing the site."
Certain sections
of the ruins are already frequently rented out for publicly financed events.
Last week the grassy Grand Palestra was closed to
visitors as workers set up a stage for a grand piano and linen-covered banquet tables
for a pre-election dinner sponsored by a local politician. And many
organizations regularly sponsor specific projects in return for branding
opportunities. The California-based Packard Humanities Institute has given 1.5
million euros in grants toward the conservation of Pompeii
and nearby Herculaneum,
and local companies like the Compagnia di San Paolo
have funded restorations of the Terme Suburbane and the Lupanare
brothel.
That, however,
hasn't curbed criticism from people like Pompeii's
superintendent Pietro Giovanni Guzzo. Guzzo insists that limiting visitors should only be for the
enhancement of services and not to turn a privately generated profit, even if
the proceeds would go directly to the local cultural ministry for reinvestment.
While Pompeii
is considered an active archaeological dig, most funds allocated to the ruins
are strictly for conservation and upkeep rather than any further exploration.
Only two-thirds (44 hectares, or 107 acres) of the buried city has been
excavated since the first digs began in the 18th century. An estimated 350
million euros would be needed to dig up the remaining third, but some
conservationists would prefer to keep it underground as a way of preserving it
for future generations. Velardi argues that renting
out the site could even fund future digs.
Other opponents
say that the plan also blurs the line between Italy's public cultural heritage
and private enterprise. Michele Trimarchi, professor
of arts economics at the University
of Bologna, worries that
opening up the site for private sponsors will backfire. He points to failed
experiments like the privatization of some of Rome's major monuments - and the fact that
they eventually had to revert to public administrators. "Restricted entry
on its own is pointless," he says. "It serves a purpose if it ensures
an enhanced visitor experience, which will not come from handing the site over
to private sponsors who have already proved disappointing in the heritage
sector."
Velardi counters by saying that
any corporation hoping to use the site would be subject to a rigorous selection
process and would be required to contribute to improving on the premises. This
could include renovating an existing excavation or providing funds to upgrade
basic infrastructure, like lighting or restrooms. "This is not some sort
of scandalous plan," says Velardi. "It's
what they do at the MoMA, the Prado
and the Louvre." In ancient Pompeii,
though, that may just be too modern an idea.