Pompeii, widely known as the ancient Roman city that was devastated by Mount Vesuvius' eruption hundreds of years ago, is now on the verge of collapse.

It appears that the problems started with the collapse of the building known as the Schola Armaturarum or the House of the Gladiators. Shortly afterward, another major structure called the House of the Moralist crumbled. The former was caused by water seeping into the structure, and the latter caused by too much rain. Both of these incidents have severely weakened the structure of the ancient Roman city.

Debris is seen after a house, once used by gladiators to train before combat, collapsed in Pompeii November 6, 2010. The 2,000-year-old "House of the Gladiators" in the ruins of ancient Pompeii collapsed on Saturday, officials said. REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

According to National Geographic, concerns have been raised about Italy's efforts to suitably preserve this ancient wonder. It has come to the point that UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, has stepped in. After sending inspectors to Pompeii, they found that the primary causes for the collapse were insufficient maintenance of the site and the presence of excess amounts of water. Although Pompeii covers almost one hundred acres, only five workers have been assigned to maintain it.

Still a popular tourist destination, the importance of Pompeii was highlighted by the amount of money that was allotted to its preservation. Recently, the European Union promised to allocate as much as one hundred million euros in order to save the site. Thanks to the money pledged by the European Union, plans are now underway to save Pompeii from completely disintegrating. This bodes well for the preservation of Pompeii, which has attracted tourists for centuries. As of 2010, records show that more than two million people have visited the ancient Roman city.

As a highly significant example of ancient Roman civilization, Pompeii is more than just a tourist destination. To preserve Pompeii would mean to preserve an important moment in history. As such, its preservation has remained an important focus not just of people from Italy but of people from all over the world.