RESEARCH PROJECT

Florence Heritage Data System

Digital tools for the knowledge, enjoyment and enhancement of the historic urban landscape

The Florence Heritage Data System is a project funded by MiC Law 77/2006 aimed at protecting and enhancing the historic urban landscape of the Historic Centre of Florence. It contributes the knowledge, enjoyment, preservation, and management of this World Heritage Site.

The project’s main objective is to develop a monitoring and evaluation model for World Heritage Sites by systematizing data and techniques for assessing architectural and urban restoration projects within the context of dynamic transformations in the historic fabric. The Integrated Information System serves as a “spatial index” that connects various databases available or under development, associated with both public and private entities. These databases focus on the consistency, state of conservation, and conditions of use of the heritage in the Historic Centre of Florence.

The research faced the significant challenge of integrating and harmonizing data from different sources, characterized by varying scales and reference systems. The data consisted of spatial information obtained through Open Source tools, datasets from the Tuscany region geoportal, data from the Municipality of Florence’s Sit, non-georeferenced university research, databases in .dbf or .xls formats, and dwg files. These diverse data sets were processed and analysed to lay the foundation for creating a new integrated database (DB) and an extensive archive of georeferenced data that documents the territory’s evolution.

The survey’s purpose is to facilitate the sharing and communication of this information by establishing an integrated information system. This system serves as a strategic element for integrating conservation policies with active transformation policies, promoting effective coordination and collaboration.

15/06/2023

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The Florence Heritage Data System plays a crucial role for the Florence World Heritage and UNESCO Relations Office, serving as an essential tool for various functions. It facilitates Management Plan Monitoring, the compilation of Periodic Reports, assessments of territorial discipline, and the specific discipline related to world heritage. Additionally, it aids in integrating and identifying “heritage elements” within “transformability projects,” conducting architectural diagnostics, and carrying out cataloguing and mapping activities for cultural heritage.

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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