EVENT

International Day for Monuments and Sites ICOMOS

Firenze, 18 April 2026

On April 18, the Historic Centre of Florence, a World Heritage site since 1982, will be featured in the heritage walk “Incantesimo di fuoco” (Fire Spell)

Saturday, April 18, the Historic Centre of Florence—declared a World Heritage site in 1982—will take center stage for the International Day for Monuments and Sites promoted by ICOMOS. This year’s theme focuses on emergency response for living heritage in contexts of conflict and disaster, featuring an initiative dedicated to urban memory and post-war reconstruction. To mark the occasion, a heritage walk titled “Incantesimo di fuoco” (Fire Spell) is scheduled: a guided itinerary to discover the transformations that shaped the area around Ponte Vecchio following World War II.

The initiative is organized by the Florence World Heritage and relationship with UNESCO Office (Municipal Museums Superintendence Service, Culture and Sports Directorate of the City of Florence), in collaboration with HeRe_Lab (Department of Architecture of the University of Florence) and the MUS.E Foundation.

The visit will consist of two sessions, at 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM. The tour was developed as part of Firenze Forma Continua, a research and valorization project dedicated to the stratified reading of the city, and offers a reflection on the complex reconstruction of the areas devastated in August 1944.

The walk, which lasts approximately 70 minutes and covers 2 kilometers, will begin at the small fountain in Piazza Pitti (meeting point). It will wind through some of the most significant sites of the Oltrarno and the historic centre: via de’ Guicciardini, Piazza Santa Felicita, and Costa San Giorgio, taking the stairway that leads to Piazza di Santa Maria Soprarno. The route continues through the 20th-century section of via de’ Bardi and into via de’ Barbadori. Passing alongside the towers of the Belfredelli and Ramaglianti families, the path reaches Borgo San Jacopo and continues to the reconstructed Ponte Santa Trinita. It then follows Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli and, upon seeing the bell tower of the Church of Santi Apostoli, enters the block through Piazzetta dei Del Bene. Via vicolo dell’Oro, the route returns to the Lungarno and proceeds along via Por Santa Maria to Piazza di Santo Stefano. Through narrow alleys (chiassi), it reaches Piazza de’ Salterelli, via Vacchereccia and, passing through the Volta dei Mercanti of the Palazzo della Borsa Merci, arrives at the Palagio di Parte Guelfa. Finally, walking along via di Capaccio, the tour ends in Piazza del Mercato Nuovo, where an inscription on the corner with via Calimala commemorates ancient vestiges and wartime destruction while celebrating the reconstruction.

Eighty years after the destruction of the historic centre, this itinerary highlights the process that led to a balance between the historical fabric and modern architecture, restoring visual and cultural continuity to one of the city’s most iconic locations. The tour focuses on the area around Ponte Vecchio, which was scarred by the mines of retreating German troops and subsequently rebuilt according to principles that were not only aesthetic, but also spatial and symbolic.

Participation is free of charge and the difficulty level is easy.
For information and reservations: info@musefirenze.it or 055 0541450

16/04/2026

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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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