The archaeological treasures of Pompeii and Herculaneum are arriving in Madrid for a major exhibition entitled "In the shadow of Vesuvius, Pompeii and Herculaneum" at the Conde Duque Culture Centre.
The show, which lasts until January 20, features around 150 archaeological finds, prints and watercolours which will give visitors a view of the Naples area's vast historical heritage.
The finds were uncovered by excavations commissioned from 1738 onwards by King Charles of Bourbon, who succeeded his brother Ferdinand as the King of Spain in 1759.
Organized by the Campania Regional Government and the Naples and Pompeii Archaeology Superintendent's Department, the exhibition was presented at the Italian Culture Institute in Madrid by Campania Culture Councillor Marco di Lello, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugo Intini and the Italian Ambassador to Spain Pasquale Terracciano, who is from Naples.
"The exhibition is just a taste of the far larger banquet that is our architectural heritage, a feast which gives people a unique opportunity to combine cultural tourism with leisure,'' said the ambassador.
Intini explained that the initiative aims to "use Pompeii to promote Italian culture and the made in Italy brand around the world".
He also pointed out that Italy has close relations with Spain as part of "the European partnership with the countries of the southern side of the Mediterranean for the promotion of dialogue between civilizations and peaceful coexistence between Muslim, Jewish and Christian cultures".
Spain is sixth on the list of countries of origin of the 5.8 million tourists who came to Campania in 2006; 2.5 million of whom visited Pompeii and the numbers keep growing.
Di Lello said the aim is to raise the region's profile in Spain to attract more Spanish visitors. He said Spanish resorts are tough competitors because their prices are "sometimes as much as 20% lower, in part because of lower taxes and labour costs".
He also stressed that Spain has invested five times more than Italy in promoting its tourist sector in the last five years. "In 2007 the Italian National Tourist Board's (ENIT) budget was doubled, but the investment needs to keep coming," Di Lello concluded.
