Maratonarte

Maratonarte is a call to save seven of Italy's lesser known but fascinating archaeological and historical sites from disappearing.

With the support of the 'Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali' and the 'Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri Dipartimento per lo Sviluppo e la Competitività del Turismo', RAI Television ran a video campaign to highlight each at the beginning of October 2007.

Claudia Cardinale and other well known and respected figures presented a project close to their heart.

The one which impacted most on us was the Modica-Ragusa railway line which aired just as we were helping Condé Nast House and Garden magazine with a photo shoot in Ragusa.

They crew didn't take the train, but the RAI video is a spectacular and slick homage to the zone and site.

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO HERE or view the You Tube clip below to get an idea

So far almost 3 million euros have been donated to Maratonart.

When you consider the spending of Ministry of 'Beni Culturali' was just over 2 billion euros in 2005, and the pressure is on to cut public spending, then there's a long way to go.