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Privatizing the Empire

In the land where it is probably easiest to strike a closed museum than an open one the Italian parliaments push to privatize some of the country's most important and popular tourist sites including the Colosseum and Pompeii is still facing opposition. This is despite the famous state run Uffizi Gallery in Florence almost having its power cut off in November when it could not afford to pay it's electricity bill, let alone provide paper towel in its bathrooms.

Italy has the largest concentration of UNESCO listed artistic and cultural attractions than any other country, two thirds of the Western world's finest and most ancient treasures reside there. Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his Lega Norda party are trying to pass legislation which could potentially yield billions of euro by leasing out a portion of these sites to privately operated company's and even selling them off permanently. In theory a wonderful plan but it appears to lack the necessary strings, in particular the obligation for new private leasers or owners to maintain and restore their holdings which many are in desperate need of.

Read the Economist's full report