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The Third Management Plan of the Historic Centre of Florence
The Management Plans

INTERNATIONAL EVENT

First European Forum of World Heritage Site Managers

Granada, 22 - 25 april 2025

Explore the forum’s work here

From April 22 to 25, 2025, the first European Forum of World Heritage Site Managers was held at the Alhambra in Granada. The event saw the participation of 19 European delegations, along with representatives from outside Europe, including the United States and Malaysia. These sites are part of the vast list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites that document Europe’s cultural and natural heritage.

The event was organized by the Alliance of Cultural Landscapes and Related World Heritage Sites, an association that brings together sites from Spain, Portugal, and Andorra, in collaboration with the Spanish Ministry of Culture, the Patronato de la Alhambra, and the European Network of Associations of World Heritage Sites, created in 2015 to regularly exchange information and experiences on World Heritage.

For the Historic Center of Florence site, the event was attended by the Head of the Department of the Municipal Museums Superintendence, as well as the site manager, Dr. Carlo Francini, and the Head of the Florence World Heritage and  Relations with UNESCO Office at the Municipality of Florence, Dr. Valentina Ippolito.

The forum provided both a theoretical framework and a platform for heritage managers to share practical experiences—both successes and challenges—on key topics. The discussions focused on five major themes identified in recent international reports and declarations:

  • the role and mandate of site managers;
  • the challenges of climate change;
  • opportunities for sustainable tourism;
  • best and worst management practices;
  • communication strategies.

Each theme was explored in dedicated working sessions, allowing participants to exchange insights and develop collaborative solutions with the aim of compiling a document that reflects their concerns, visions, and proposed solutions on these topics.

Events like this aim to improve heritage management across Europe, promoting stronger collaboration, more effective protection strategies, and greater public awareness of World Heritage sites.

It is possible to consult the forum’s works at this link.

FAQ

Why is the Historic Centre of Florence a World Heritage Site?

The Historic Centre of Florence was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982. The justification for its inscription is contained within the Statement of Outstanding Universal Value, which articulates the criteria for inscription of the site, its integrity, authenticity and the management system for its protection. The Historic Centre of Florence is considered to be a unique artistic achievement embedding museums, churches, palaces and globally renowned cultural goods of inestimable value. The city has also been able to exert an important cultural, economic and architectural influence in Italy and Europe for centuries, defining itself as the birthplace of modern Humanism and Renaissance values. The stratification of these values is also enriched by the relationship between the Historic Centre and the surrounding hills, which form a perfect harmonious backstage.

What is the area of the city of Florence inscribed on the World Heritage List?

The Core Zone inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982 coincides with the Historic Centre of Florence, traditionally identified with the area included within the avenues corresponding to the ancient circle of the fourteenth-century walls. In 2021, a boundary modification of the perimeter was approved to include the complex of San Miniato al Monte and the surrounding area. The Buffer Zone of the site encompasses the eighteen Belvedere points and includes part of the territories of four municipalities: the Municipality of Florence, the Municipality of Sesto Fiorentino, the Municipality of Fiesole and the Municipality of Bagno a Ripoli.  

What is the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV)?

Cultural and/or natural significance that is so exceptional that it transcends national boundaries and is of common importance to present and future generations of humanity as a whole, constituting the fundamental requirement for the inscription of porperties on the World Heritage List. The properties  deemed to hold Outstanding Universal Value can be included in the World Heritage List if:

  • They satisfy one or more Selection Criteria;
  • They respect the conditions of Integrity and Authenticity;
  • They have an adequate Protection and Management System to ensure their safeguarding
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