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

Celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the birth of Cosimo I and Caterina de’ Medici

 

On 13 April 1519, in the rooms of the family palace in Via Larga in Florence, Catherine de’ Medici, the future queen of France, was born. A couple of months later, on June 12, 1519, Cosimo I de’ Medici was born and at the age of seventeen would become Duke of Florence. Fifty years later, on 13 December 1569, Cosimo himself constituted the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, becoming its first Grand Duke.

500 years after the birth of Cosimo I and Caterina de’ Medici, two key figures in the history of the city of Florence – but also for the events of Italy and France – the City of Florence has become the promoter for the establishment of an Organizing Committee, consisting of 22 city institutions, formalized by resolution of the City Council n. 70 of 26.02.2019. Through the Committee, chaired and coordinated by the municipal administration, with the organizational support of MUS.E, a calendar of events has been created to remember and celebrate their lives and deeds. More than 50 events spread between March and December 2019 with exhibitions, meetings, readings, concerts, and guided tours, opportunities for in-depth analysis and more tastings and “journeys through time”, to discover the parallel lives of Cosimo and Catherine, which intersect several times thanks to the strange interweaving of history and the balance of politics.

A constantly updated calendar will be available on the website: www.500cosimocaterina.it and on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/500cosimocaterina/

 

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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