Naples historic center is gradually collapsing Automatic translate

NAPLES. More and more cultural heritage sites in Naples are in poor condition. Only closed and abandoned churches, there are more than two hundred. Monuments, libraries and palaces are also gradually being destroyed.

The church of Santa Maria della Scorziata in Naples requires major repairs.
Photo: theartnewspaper.com

All interior furnishings, including works of art, have been removed from some rooms. Some are closed and never open. Experts point out that this situation was the result of many years of neglect and poor governance by the local and national governments, as well as the church and regional divisions of the Ministry of Culture.

The historical center of the city was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List seventeen years ago. At the end of last year, 16 Naples civic committees and 60 well-known residents of the city signed a petition asking them to deprive the city of this status due to the disastrous state of that same cultural heritage.

The appeal says that the city "does nothing to protect its treasures" and that "the recognition of UNESCO is valid only on paper." A photographic dossier was attached to the petition documenting the neglect of cultural monuments throughout the city. Mayor Luigi de Magistris said his administration had already prepared a request for a grant of 100 million euros to Naples to restore the historic city center.

Anna Sidorova