Rome’s ancient monuments are crumbling, and as best anyone can tell, the Italian government isn’t doing a thing about it. “Everyone has heard of sinking Venice, but only a restricted circle of academics wring their hands over crumbling Rome. Yet, for lack of funds, the city’s ancient centre is inexorably deteriorating.” Recent torrential rains have brought the situation to a head, with experts fearing the worst if something isn’t done to stabilize the monuments soon.