CONFERENCE

Greening the Past: Strategies for Sustainable Restoration in UNESCO Historic Centers

Sala d'Arme Palazzo Vecchio, 22 january 2025

On January 22, 2026, the conference “Greening the Past: Strategies for Sustainable Restoration in UNESCO Historic Centers” took place at the Sala d’Arme of Palazzo Vecchio. The event was organized by the Department of Architecture of the University of Florence in collaboration with the HeRe_Lab Heritage and Research Innovation Laboratory and the Florence World Heritage and Relations with UNESCO Office of the Municipality of Florence. The event was part of the CHANGES project within the framework of the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), which aims to establish an international centre of excellence for training, research, and technology transfer in the field of culture and cultural heritage.

The programme was structured into two main sessions. Following the opening remarks by Professor Marco Biffi, UNIFI Scientific Director for PNRR – PE5, a series of presentations was introduced and moderated by Professor Susanna Caccia Gherardini, Director of the Department of Architecture (DIDA), and Dr. Carlo Francini, Superintendent Director of the Municipal Museums. These presentations focused on the themes “Anthropic Degradation: Risks and Emerging Strategies” and “Natural Degradation: Restoration and Sustainability”.

The second session was introduced and chaired by Dr. Giorgio Caselli, Director of the Fine Arts and Fabbrica of Palazzo Vecchio Service, together with Dr. Lorenzo Mingardi of the Department of Architecture of the University of Florence. The presentations addressed the topics “The ‘Detail’ of the Historic City Centre: The National Context” and “The ‘Detail’ of the Historic City Centre: The International Perspective”.

The event brought together professionals from several Italian World Heritage sites, alongside professors and researchers from the University of Florence, who explored issues of sustainability from a range of disciplinary perspectives. Researchers from the HeRe_Lab Innovation Laboratory also participated in the event, presenting research funded by the Ministry of Culture under Law 77/2006 concerning the development of a preparatory document for the Risk Management Plan of the World Heritage site “Historic Centre of Florence.”

26/01/2026

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Conference Greening the Past_22.01.26_poster

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26/01/2026

pdf – 2 MB

Conference Greening the Past_22.01.26_program

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Institutional greetings_ Conference Greening the Past: Strategies for Sustainable Restoration in UNESCO Historic Centers

Conference Greening the Past: Strategies for Sustainable Restoration in UNESCO Historic Centers

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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