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Restoring Italy’s Monuments: A Colossal Challenge

Coliseum

Italy is home to numerous famous monuments and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In fact, Italy is known as the country with the most number of World Heritage Sites with a total of 50 sites to its name. Some of these monuments have been around for hundreds of years and they have left an undeniable mark on the world to this day.

However, what happens when age finally catches up to these renowned cultural and historical assets? The sad reality is that time does eventually take its toll on these ancient wonders, which leads to the natural deterioration of their structure and the accumulation of damage over the years.  The Italian government has taken some steps to preserve these great monuments, but the budget needed to undertake this colossal endeavor just doesn’t seem to be enough.

Roman Forum Restoration

This is why private individuals and corporations have taken it upon themselves to spearhead a movement to restore these ancient cultural sites. Over the past year, big organizations from various industries like fashion and luxury goods are pouring a lot of money to help fund the restoration process. Last year, the Fendi fashion group contributed $3.5 million to restructure the Trevi Fountain’s plumbing. Similarly, Bulgari paid $2 million for the repair of the Spanish Steps in Rome.

And it simply isn’t giant corporations or millionaire philanthropists who are taking this initiative. Even locals who live near these monuments or those have a strong emotional connection to these places are creating Kickstarter campaigns and other crowdfunding projects to push for their repair and restoration. The Pazzi Chapel in Florence had a Kickstarter campaign launched for it last year by the non-profit organization Opera di Santa Croce. However, individuals such as Walter Sanders, who was married to his wife there, are blogging about it to promote support for its restoration.

The amount of effort being put into returning these glorious monuments to a semblance of their former glory is truly touching. It clearly shows the amount of love and affection people have in preserving the rich culture and history of their past.

If you plan on visiting any of Italy’s World Heritage Sites and other famous monuments, it would be prudent to check their respective websites to see if there is any restoration work being done to it. You can also consult the city’s local website and find out if there is any news or announcement regarding any maintenance work on any its landmarks. There are usually up-to-date notices posted that can advise tourists when would be the best time to visit.

Rome Trevi Fountain

Tour Italy Now specializes in escorted tours which can bring you and your friends around Italy to see some of these amazing sights. If you’re interested touring any of Italy’s major cities, then book a trip with us and soak in all the culture and history that this country has to offer.

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By Priscila (266 Posts)

Priscila Siano is the Marketing Director of Tour Italy Now, an online tour operator specializing in Italy travel. She's a respected expert on making dream Italy vacations a reality for clients.

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