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

Urban Critical Survey

 

The project, partially funded by the Ente Cassa di Risparmio of Florence and the Tuscany Regional Council, has been inserted into the Management Plan of the World Heritage site of Florence, and developed in sinergy with the Architecture Department of the University of Florence (DIDA).

It plays a special role regarding the protection of the landscape and will be constantly supervised by the UNESCO Office of the Municipality of Florence. Among the indicators that have be taken into account, the attention will be mainly brought on overlooks and panoramic viewpoints.

In summary, the project is focused on balancing the compatibility between economic aims, resources conservation and environmental quality, in a urban planning context of a landscape that is inevitably subject to continuous transformations.

So, for a better understanding, protection, conservation and enhancement of the site, here is proposed a widely tested methodology of detection and critical analysis, based on both the perceptual-visual analysis and the critical-qualitative survey of the urban landscape.

Our eye must be trained to see and recognize the structural components, to identify their weaknesses and strengths, that is the actually or potentially degrading or qualifying parts, to highlight the transformation dynamics in place, the qualities and weaknesses of the sites, and to determine their vulnerability or their potentiality regarding the impact with human activities.

This has the aim of identifing general directives on which base detailed guidelines, (also with the help of computerized catalogues), providing a useful tool to support any phase of the project, decisional and planning phase as well.

Participants: Municipality of Florence, University of Florence, Tuscan Regional Authority.

Credits:

Scientific supervisor for the Municipality of Florence: Dr. Carlo Francini

Scientific supervisor for University of Florence: Prof. Marco Bini

Planning and coordination: Dr. arch. Carolina Capitanio

 

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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