[Discov] 30 Phoenicians tombs found in Sardinia (Berlusconi's villa)

[DAVIDE]

Silvio Berlusconi sex scandal overshadowed by cave row


A row about the discovery of a series of 2,300-year-old caves has emerged as a potentially greater threat to Silvio Berlusconi than allegations he slept call girl Patrizia D'Addario.


The latest extracts of taped bedroom conversations to be released contained an apparently innocuous remark by the Italian prime minister that he had discovered 30 ancient tombs on one of his estates.
He is heard boasting to Miss D'Addario, 42, about the existence of Phoenician tombs, from the 3rd Century BC on his Villa Certosa estate on Sardinia where guests have included Tony Blair.

But as in Britain, any discovery of historical significance should be reported immediately to the Ministry of Culture in Rome and the local paramilitary police office in charge of artistic heritage.
Failure to do so can result in a fine of up to £2,500 and a year in jail – and it would appear that Mr Berlusconi has not reported the existence of the tombs.
The recordings were made by call girl Miss D'Addario and included a conversation between her and Mr Berlusconi, 72, in which she praises him for his sexual performance.
But after small talk about sex – including some explicit advice from the Italian prime minister – he reveals that there is a "fossilised whale and 30 Phoenician tombs from three centuries before Christ" at Villa Certosa.
Manuela Ghizzoni, of the opposition Democratic Left's Culture Commission, said: "The law says that such findings have to be reported and if they exist they would be of exceptional archaeological interest.
"What we want to know is why Berlusconi has not done as the law says – anything found of this nature must be reported within 24 hours and it appears he has not.
"We shall be asking the government's Culture Minister Sandro Bondi for a full report – it is very curious that the archaeological community was completely unaware of this significant discovery."
Giuseppina Manca di Mores, of Italy's National Association of Archaeologists, said the discovery of such caves would be hugely significant.
"If the presence of these 30 previously unknown tombs on Berlusconi's estate is confirmed it represents a very significant discovery," he said.
"As an association we are calling for an immediate examination because the historical significance of these tombs is vital to the study of the Phoenician civilisation which we know was significant in the Mediterranean.
"For years historians have debated whether the nearby town of Olbia was founded by the Greeks or the Phoenicians and these tombs could be the breakthrough needed to provide the answer."
A spokesman at the Ministry of Culture in Rome also said there was no comment but it's regional representative in Sardinia, Rubens D'Oriano, told Corriere Della Sera: "My office has not received any protocol on this discovery. We have no information on Phoenician settlements in that area. I should have been informed."
It is the latest revelation in a long-running scandal that has seen Berlusconi accused of having affairs and wild parties with young women and escorts.
The tapes have been published on the website of left-leaning Italian news magazine L'Espresso – and Berlusconi's response has been a bullish: "I am no saint."
Berlusconi's spokesman Marco Ventura said: "At the moment there is no comment on this – if there is then I will let you know."
Meanwhile Italy's foreign minister Franco Frattini took the unusual step of commenting on the scandal during an interview with the BBC and defended Mr Berlusconi.
Mr Frattini said: "All these allegations are proving absolutely not true, and that is why no prosecutor has put my prime minister under investigation. And these are actually not true on the substance.
"What is really, really a matter of concern and some journalists paid these escorts or even prostitutes to make public statements and public declarations against my prime minister and this – to pay people to make false allegations, this is indeed a very immoral wrongdoing."



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-cave-row.html

[Zarax]

You know, just pronouncing B. would usually call this for the mudpit.

If the news is true it would definitely be an outrage, especially as Archeology in Sardinia just scratched the surface of Punic and Nuragic remains on the island.
And of course, since Villa Certosa has been declared a site of national interest no investigation can be run, making any investigation on this very unlikely.

[DAVIDE]

Bad fact's he waited several days to announce what he found. For Italian law, if you find something you should declare it immediately to authorities, or you can be considered and persecuted as a potential looter then

[Zarax]

I fowarded this link to Il Fatto Quotidiano, maybe it will get some media following...

[DAVIDE]

it's an old article. I remember some newspapers as the gazzettino or repubblica who shared this info. I think media already know this thing