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Cultural ministry: 60% of Italian heritage sites at risk of earthquakes

Published: 16/04/2009 05:00

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The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Uffizi Gallery in Florence and Hadrian’s Villa near Rome are among some 60 percent of Italy’s heritage sites at risk of earthquakes, the Italian culture ministry said Thursday.

A military officer holds an artifact that rescuers retrieved from the damaged Santa Maria Church in the old city of L’Aquila, Italy, on April 7, 2009. Rescuers were trying to save artifacts from buildings devastated in a strong quake that claimed 235 lives so far in central Italy. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

At a conference in the wake of the April 6 earthquake that damaged all churches and heritage buildings in the Abruzzo region’s capital, L’Aquila, the culture ministry called for enhancing of a 2007 program of controls and risk reduction for the150,000 buildings thought to be vulnerable.

The ministry said a government directive to complete a vulnerability survey on buildings by December 2010 is behind schedule, since the state owns only a small proportion of sites while others are run by the Church, local authorities or private bodies.

Ministry architect Laura Moro said the first phase of the program is to verify vulnerability, while the second phase would focus on reducing the risk of buildings being damaged by quakes.

She said it would take “at least 10 years” to safeguard all heritage sites against seismic activity.

“We have the problem that prevention is seen as an encumbrance without any immediate payback,” said Cultural Heritage Ministry Director-General Roberto Cecchi.

But Cecchi said work was being carried out on the the Uffizi and the Galleria dell’Accademia, home of Michelangelo’s David, while controls have already been completed for some buildings in the Veneto region.

A joint report issued by the ministry and the civil protection department in 2007 identified more than 3,000 cities and towns at risk of earthquakes.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet

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