A 25-foot-long garden wall which surrounds one of Pompeii’s best-known houses, the so-called House of the Moralist collapsed on 30 November, raising even more fears about the future of the ancient city. Archaeologists, commentators and opposition politicians have accused Berlusconi’s government of neglect and mismanagement of the UNESCO world heritage site, which has long been plagued by poor maintenance and lack of funds

The 2,000-year-old building lies along Via dell’Abbondanza, close to the ruins of the frescoed House of Gladiators, which crumbled into a pile of rubble earlier this month.  The house itself, which suffered no major damage, owes its name to three rules of etiquette inscribed on the walls of the dining room:

– Wash your feet, and a slave will dry them. A cloth covers your couch; keep it clean!

– Do not flirt with another man’s wife. Watch your language.

– Don’t fight or argue. Otherwise, go home.