Dinner at the statue of David for 20 thousand euros

With the country mired in debt, Italy's cultural budget has been slashed in recent years, spelling trouble for several historic sites. Many local politicians have turned to corporate sponsorships to raise the money necessary for vital upkeep. The trend has attracted considerable criticism.

Marco Zambuto has an active imagination, a vital asset these days. He has no choice. He can envision, for example, the ancient columns from the Valley of Temples — a millennia-old Hellenic legacy in Sicily — on T-shirts. The site is a symbol of ancient Greece, the cradle of Europe. And these days, Zambuto hopes, it can offer both consolation and an incentive to spend in these times of economic crisis in Athens and Rome.