Austerity has a means of striking hard at the unexpected, but now the extreme measures Italy's debt crisis has forced its government into stands to threaten Rome&'s heritage. The Castello di Giulio II is likely to close its doors to tourism as only one of many national treasures that are on the chopping block to be defunded in the near future.

There are more UNESCO World Heritage sites in Italy than in any other nation, but as the financial crisis bites, will Italy's heritage crumble to dust?

Italy's financial woes are well reported. But there is one casualty of the shortage that gets less coverage: The reduced funding for the country's museums and monuments.

Just a half-hour train trip from central Rome lies a little-known historical landmark, that may soon be forced to close its gates. The Castello di Giulio II or Julius the Second's Castle, is a centuries-old structure.

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