video transcript

Rome's Mayor, Gianni Alemanno, surveys the damage to a wall at Pincio hill. The hill overlooks the famous Piazza del Popolo, an area once sought after by the Romans who built luxurious villas on the site. Nine metres of masonry collapsed from the wall and will cost around 300,000 euros -- or more than 375,000 U.S. dollars -- to repair. But although no serious damage occurred, Mayor Alemanno fears the country's austerity measures could jeopardize the restoration of city landmarks like this one. SOUNDBITE: Gianni Alemanno, mayor of Rome, saying (Italian): "The stability of Pincio is not in jeopardy. But it's a signal that shows we have to accelerate efforts to restore it. One million, three hundred thousand euros have been earmarked for restoration of this section, the main wall, but now with austerity measures the money has been blocked." Italy's austerity measures, introduced by the government to help overcome the economic crisis, have affected spending in most cities.