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

Hidden Conservation Revealed

 

The objective of the study project that took place in Florence from 22nd until 27th May 2016 is to raise awareness regarding the importance of the conservation of architectural heritage, particularly in Florence. This project, coordinated by Alexandra Skedzuhn-Safir, the Scientific Assistant of the Chair of Architectural Conservation in the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg in Germany (Head of the Department: Prof.Leo Schmidt), has resulted in two documentaries on the important conservation work taking place in the courtyard of Michelozzo in Palazzo Vecchio.

The BTU Cottbus-Seftenberg students who carried out the project come from countries all over the world: Germany, Italy, Georgia, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Egypt, Indonesia, India, China, Japan, and Lebanon. They participated in the project by bringing together different disciplines: Architecture and Conservation, Media and Film, Tourism and History.

The project was developed by students of World Heritage Studies in BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, which is the first study program in the world dedicated to the UNESCO Convention of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, Bauen und Erhalten (Building and Conservation) and Heritage Conservation and Site Management. The documentaries were supervised by the filmmaker Ralf Schuster and have been made available to the City of Florence to promote and raise the awareness of the visitors about the exceptional work to protect Florence as a heritage site.

During the study trip to Florence the students interviewed professionals working in Florence and participated in lectures about conservation as follows:

  • introduction about managing the World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Florence by Chiara Bocchio, a BTU alumna of the WHS programme, and currently collaborator in UNESCO Office of the Municipality of Florence
  • meeting on site and interviews  about challenges and possibilities of conservation with Fabio Sforzi, the director of conservation work of the Vasari wall paintings in the Michelozzo courtyard, and the conservators Cristiana Conti and Alessandra Popple
  • lectures about architectural conservation taught by Giorgio Caselli, the head of the Fine Arts Department of the Municipality of Florence, Giuseppe Centauro, professor in the Department of Construction and Restoration of the Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, and the architect Daniela Chiesi from the Università di Firenze
  • meeting with Carlo Francini, Site Manager of the WHS Historic City Centre of Florence.

The project provides a broad perspective on further strategies to raise awareness on heritage conservation.

 

Photo Credit: Ralf Schuster

Hidden Conservation:

 

Conservation Decoded:

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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