Investing in culture is key to
moving the country forward, Premier Matteo Renzi said at the
inauguration of Taranto's National Archeological Museum (MarTa)
on Friday.
"Investing in culture is not a whim but a key element in
turning the country around at a time when priests are being
killed," Renzi said in reference to an Islamist extremist attack
earlier in the week in a parish church in France.
"We consider MarTa a chance to give (Taranto) not only the
beauty of its own history but also the beauty of its own
future," the premier added as he promised more funds would be
forthcoming for the museum.
"The collection is extraordinary, one of the most
significant in the world," said Culture Minister Dario
Franceschini, was also on hand at the new museum which among
other treasures of Antiquity, houses the so-called Tomb of the
Athlete - a sarcophagus containing the remains of an ancient
Greek Olympic athlete.
The government is investing in Taranto's cultural heritage
in order to relaunch the city and attract tourists, the minister
said.
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