The Management Plan for the site of Piazza del Duomo

Giudizio Universale (particolare) - Camposanto monumentale
Giudizio Universale (particolare) - Camposanto monumentale

The strategic planning and drafting of the Management Plan of the World Heritage Site of Piazza del Duomo in Pisa is the result of collaboration and cooperation amongst the institutions involved, in various capacities, in the protection, management and enhancement of the Site: the Ministry of Culture (through the UNESCO Office of the General Secretariat, the Regional Secretariat of Tuscany, the Superintendence of Archeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Provinces of Pisa and Livorno), the Tuscany Region, the Province of Pisa, the Municipality of Pisa, and the Opera della Primaziale Pisana which established, in 2014, a Steering Committee for the comparison and sharing of the objectives of conservation, use, and enhancement of the Site – registered in the World Heritage List since 1987.

In two years, an intense process of analysis, design and planning of actions and tools was carried out for the conservation and enhancement of the UNESCO-recognized Outstanding Universal Value of the Site. The result is a complete, clear, flexible document intended as a crucial strategic and operational reference. The document, hence, is based on the values, vision, mission, and objectives shared by all Members of the Steering Committee.

The Management Plan is apportioned into a “Five-year Intervention Strategy” established to mitigate risks associated with natural disasters and anthropogenic activity related to intensive tourism (overtourism), as well as to enhance the Site as a unitary monumental complex. The document also identifies the need to strengthen management skills, to disseminate the knowledge and values ​​of World Heritage, and to increase the sense of belonging in local communities, by implementing ad hoc actions in cooperation with the subjects of the Steering Committee and other institutions active in the area.

The 5 Strategic Objectives of the Budapest Convention, known as the “5Cs” (Credibility, Conservation, Communication, Capacity Building and Community Engagement), constitute the key reference for the definition of the intervention program to be implemented. Furthermore, the 5Cs characterized the survey  framework for identifying criticalities and needs of the Site, surfaced through numerous discussions with institutional subjects and analyzes conducted by the Working Group. The 17 Action Cards reflect and meet these objectives with projects developed to operationalize the strategy.