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

Viewpoints and Visual Axes

 

The urban landscape is without a doubt an evolving element. It is subject to continuous transformations due to anthropic pressure. As early as 2005, in Declaration on the Conservation of Historic Urban Landscapes, WHC-05/15.GA/7, UNESCO has begun to emphasise the need to adequately contextualise contemporary architecture in the historic urban landscape. It highlighted the importance of considering visual impact or cultural impact studies when designing modern establishments. Consequently, this project was conceived with the goal to manage the transformations for sustainable development of the UNESCO Site of Florence, while guaranteeing the integrity and enhancement of the city’s image.

The project is carried out thanks to the financial support of MiBACT L. 77/06, and a detailed, ongoing agreement between the Municipality of Florence and the Department of Architecture, Design, History, and Project of the University of Florence signed on 15 July 2011.

A total of fifty panoramic sites around the UNESCO Site of Florence have been surveyed with GPS equipment, and then have been outlined on the map on a 1:10,000 scale. Amongst these sites, eighteen that are deemed essential for defining the area of influence of the UNESCO Site, are chosen. These sites are significant for the determination of any new interventions. The Verification Points are mainly located along the scenic route, located on the hillsides around the Site. For every viewpoint, the included areas will be defined as close-up, first floor, second floor, third floor, stage, and background. The elaborate thematic map will allow an adequate verification of the new interventions concerning Florence’s skyline.

Amongst the 62 viewpoints taken into consideration during the research, 18 viewpoints and the corresponding visual axes – listed below – were considered to be the most significant for the protection of the historic centre and for the control of the transformations planned inside the World Heritage site. Therefore, they were included in the last revision of the city’s Structural Plan (approved by the resolution CC 2015/C/00025 of 02.04.2015) and reported in its “Table 3” regarding the additional protection measure to the city centre.

Monte Rinaldi
Badia Fiesolana
Villa Medici – Fiesole
Piazza Desiderio da Settignano
Via del Loretino
San Tommaso a Baroncelli
Santa Maria alla Badiuzza
San Miniato al Monte
Michelangelo
Bardini kaffeehaus
Boboli – Abbondanza
Via di San Carlo
Via di Bellosguardo
Via di Monte Uliveto
Orti del Parnaso
Villa Fabbricotti
Villa La Petraia
Santa Lucia alla Castellina

 

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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