Pompeii house collapses amid criticism over decay

A 2,000-year-old house in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, once used by gladiators to train before combat, has collapsed, Italian officials said.

The site was closed at the time and nobody was injured, but the collapse highlighted controversy over the poor state of Pompeii, one of Italy’s main tourist attractions.

Many experts have denounced the degradation and decay of the area.

The office of Pompeii’s archaeological superintendent said the collapse happened at around 6am on Saturday.

Attendants opening the site saw the collapse about an hour later.

The house, called by the Latin name “Schola Armaturarum Juventis Pompeiani”, was closed to the public, and could only be seen from the outside, but it was not considered at risk of collapse, officials said.

Situated on Pompeii’s main street, the site was quickly cordoned off.

Antonio Varone, director of Pompeii’s excavations, told the Ansa news agency officials were trying to “preserve up to the last fragment of the Schola Armaturarum”.

There was no official word on possible causes. News reports said water infiltration following heavy rains in the past days might be the cause.

The 430 square foot space was used by gladiators to train before going to fight in a nearby amphitheatre. It was also a storehouse for weapons and armour.

Pompeii was destroyed in AD 79 by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius which killed thousands of people and buried the city in 20ft of volcanic ash. But the ash also helped preserve Pompeii’s treasures, providing precious information about what life was like in the ancient world.

Culture Minister Sandro Bondi said some frescoes on the lower walls may have been preserved.