Pompeii: Preserved By Volcanic Ash, Destroyed By Tourists

ROME, July 4 (UPI) -- The Italian government declared a one-year state of emergency Friday at Pompeii, the city buried under volcanic ash more than 2,000 years ago.

Culture Minister Sandro Bondi is to name a commissioner to oversee the archaeological site, one of the most important in the world, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. The commissioner will be in charge of administration while Pietro Giovanni Guzzo, the archaeological superintendent, will remain in charge of preservation.

Antonio Irlando, who heads a regional group involved with cultural preservation, said Pompeii's buildings are falling to pieces.

Maintenance funds for such places are always in short supply, unfortunately.