Emperor Nero’s golden palace, the walls of medieval Siena and the foundations of Venice will all receive sorely needed restoration funds after Italy approved a plan on Monday to spend $325 million to protect its cultural heritage.
Caring for thousands of years’ worth of art and architecture is a perennial problem in Italy, and many sites have been left in a fragile state by public spending cuts and mismanagement, Reuters reported.
The walls protecting Siena are among the monuments set to be restored, at a cost of $2.37 million over the next three years, the culture ministry said.
The investment plan was unveiled shortly after Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s government passed a 2016 budget which increases spending on culture, including a handout to 18 year-olds to spend on activities like cinema trips.
Under the plan, $14 million will go towards restoring the golden palace Emperor Nero had built in Rome as a monument to himself, but which was destroyed later by the Roman emperor, Trajan.
More than $6.5 million will go to various projects aimed at helping to prop up the northern canal city of Venice.
