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

RESEARCH PROJECT

Development of an Information Model for Monitoring the Management Plan of the Historic Centre of Florence

Project funded under Law February 20, 2006, n. 77

The project “Development of an Information Model for Monitoring the Management Plan of the Historic Centre of Florence” is an initiative funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture through Law No. 77 of February 20, 2006, which provides special measures for the protection and enjoyment of Italian World Heritage sites.

Building upon the 2022 update of the Site’s Management Plan and its 2024 Monitoring report, the project aims to establish a regular and precise update of various sets of indicators. These indicators serve as essential tools to measure the change and progress of each individual project outlined within the Action Plan. In this context, the initiative defines new strategic guidelines to monitor project activities and their practical applications across the site.

A core principle of this approach is to align site management with a broader vision of participation, involving all stakeholders responsible for implementing the projects within the Management Plan. This collaborative effort is designed to enhance the verification process that underpins the monitoring phase. All data collected during this process is integrated into the database of the Geographic Information System (GIS) of the City of Florence. This allows for the simple and direct extraction of information, which is then used to draft detailed reports in compliance with the requirements set by the World Heritage Centre.

Specifically, the project focuses on the implementation of a dedicated portal featuring research results and documentation, alongside the verification of project progress within the Action Plan through periodic meetings with relevant managers and stakeholders. It also involves identifying increasingly effective performance indicators and proposing educational activities, seminars, or publications to disseminate this monitoring model and its informative database.

This initiative is developed by the World Heritage and Relationship with UNESCO Office of the Municipality of Florence, in collaboration with the HeRe_Lab Innovation Laboratory and the Department of Architecture of the University of Florence.

Project managers
Municipality of Florence – Culture Department, World Heritage and relationship with UNESCO Office, and University of Florence, Department of Architecture (DIDA), HeRe_Lab Joint Research Laboratory

Project funded under Law February 20, 2006, n. 77
“Special measures for the protection and use of Italian sites and elements of cultural, landscape and environmental interest, inscribed on the ‘World Heritage List’, placed under the protection of UNESCO”

 

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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