Italy culture sites to get 80 mln euros

(ANSA) - Rome, August 4 - Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini announced on Tuesday that 80 million euros of funding had been approved for large-scale cultural projects in Italy including renovation of Rome's Colosseum and Florence's Uffizi Gallery.
    Italy's superior council for cultural assets and landscape has approved the allocation of the funds for large-scale projects in 2015-2016, Franceschini said, hailing the decision as a turning point for the country's culture sector.
    "Investments in cultural assets are finally back," he said, adding that the funds would go towards completing major museums and projects concentrated in northern and central regions.
    Italy has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country in the world but its leaders have been criticised in recent years for failing to allocate enough funds to cultural upkeep, with scandals breaking out over collapses of ancient ruins at sites such as Pompeii.
    A total of 18.5 million euros of the most recently approved financing will go towards rebuilding the arena of the Colosseum in Rome and restoring its floor. Another 18 million euros will bankroll the so-called Great Uffizi project in Florence, which aims to renovate the gallery and rearrange some of its masterpieces.
    Other sites that will receive funds include the Certosa di Pavia monastery complex, which is set to gain a seven-million-euro injection of cash for its restoration. Rome's Papal arsenal will also receive seven million euros to go towards a contemporary art project. Bassano del Grappa's Ponte Vecchio and the ancient stone sculptures of Mont'e Prama in Cabras in Sardinia will also benefit.
    On the museum front, Turin's Polo Reale museum will receive seven millions euros which will go towards improvements including upgrades to the royal gardens and the Chapel of The Holy Shroud.
    Another seven million euros will go to the National Museum of Italian Judaism and the Shoah in Ferrara, to speed up its completion as visitor demand grows.
    A museum of ancient ships that is being set up in Pisa will receive five million euros so its construction can be accelerated.
    Other museums around the country which will receive significant funds include the museum of contemporary art of Palazzo Ardinghelli in Aquila, the National Archaeological Museum in Aquileia and the archaeological area of the Roman Villa in Spello.
    The latest package adds to another 490 million euros in cultural investments, supported by the European Union, which are destined for the five southern regions of Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Puglia and Sicily. Those funds will help restore or extend the Naples Archaeological Museum, the Reggio Calabria Archaeological Museum, the Reggia di Caserta royal palace, the Sibari museum and archaeological park, and the medieval Swabian castles in Bari and Trani, among others.
    All the funds will go to "a unified strategy for the safeguarding of the national heritage and the promotion and development of culture as per Article 9 of the Constitution," Franceschini said.
    Italian premier Matteo Renzi said last week that he was counting on the culture sector to create jobs, particularly for young people, and help the country recover from a deep economic crisis.