State of Conservation of World Heritage Properties in Europe SECTION II

ITALY As provided in ICOMOS evaluation Qualities: The historic Centre of Siena has preserved its Gothic appearance over the centuries. Historic Centre of Siena This continuity of the Gothic style is explained by the wish of the Sienese to conserve this Brief description characteristic architecture as the cultural identity of Siena is the embodiment of a medieval city. Its the city. They have doubtless wished to distinguish inhabitants pursued their rivalry with Florence right Siena from Florence, where Renaissance into the area of urban planning. Throughout the architecture flowers. More recent interventions on centuries, they preserved their city's Gothic certain monuments, such as the Palazzo Pubblico appearance, acquired between the 12th and 15th and the Palazzo Sansedoni, have respected the centuries. During this period the work of Duccio, the established criteria. In this Context, the 19th Lorenzetti brothers and Simone Martini was to century restoration movement is more related to the influence the course of Italian and, more broadly, renewal of arts and traditions than pure restoration. European art. The whole city of Siena, built around The restoration work of Giuseppe Partini in the the Piazza del Campo, was devised as a work of art 1870s in the Piazza Salimbeni fits well into the that blends into the surrounding landscape. continuity of the “Gothic Dream” that Siena represents. 1. Introduction Siena is a characteristic urban space whose origins lie in the evolution of the town in the 12th and 13th Year(s) of Inscription 1995 centuries. The city in its entirety is treated like a Agency responsible for site management monument. • Municipality of Siena Recommendation: That this property be inscribed Piazza del Campo 1 on the world Heritage List on the basis of criteria (i), 53100, Siena (ii), and (iv): Tuscany, Italy Siena is an outstanding medieval city that has E-mail: [email protected] preserved its character and quality to a remarkable Website: www.comune.siena.it degree. Its influence on art, architecture, and town planning in the Middle Ages, both in Italy and 2. Statement of Significance elsewhere in Europe, was great. The city is a work of dedication and imagination, in which the Inscription Criteria C (i), (ii), (iv) buildings have been designed to fit into the overall planned urban fabric, and also to form a whole with Justification provided by the State Party the surrounding cultural landscape.

For its architectural and urban features, the historic Committee Decision centre of Siena is a testimony to the creativity of man, and a concrete expression of his artistic and Bureau (July 1995): The Bureau recommended the aesthetic capacity. This strong and personal Committee to inscribe the nominated property on example of artistic civilization has had a great the basis of criteria (i), (ii) and (iv), considering that cultural influence throughout the territory of the the site is of outstanding universal value as a Sienese Republic and also in Italy and Europe medieval city having preserved its character and particularly in the 13th and 14th centuries. quality to a remarkable degree. Its influence on art, architecture, and town planning in the Middle Ages, In particular, architecture, painting, sculpture and both in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, was great. town planning were exported culturally to The city is a work of dedication and imagination, in neighbouring territories. The very structure of the which the buildings have been designed to fit into city and its development, interrupted over the the overall planned urban fabric, and also to form a centuries but united in design, offers a rare whole with the surrounding cultural landscape. example of the Italian city during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Session (1995): The Committee decided to inscribe the property on the basis of criteria (i), (ii) and (iv), considering that Siena is an outstanding medieval city that has preserved its character and quality. State of Conservation of World Heritage Properties in Europe SECTION II

The city is a work of dedication and imagination in • The city has remained outside the large which the buildings have been designed to fit into development areas designated in Italy. The the overall planned urban fabric, and also to form a number of inhabitants has remained relatively whole with the surrounding cultural landscape. low and corresponds to that of the medieval period; it has not led to large-scale urban • Statement of significance adequately defines extensions. The environs of the city have been the outstanding universal value of the site subjected to only small-scale interventions, • No change required by State Party among them the planning of a residential area, a hospital, and a small railway station. These Boundaries and Buffer Zone projects have been planned in such a way as • Status of boundaries of the site: adequate not to disturb the relationship with the • No buffer zone has been defined; further work landscape to be found in famous 14th century needed paintings. The authenticity of the urban fabric of • Town planning instruments and restrictions for the historic city with its main architectural the conservation of the historic, architectural, groups is undeniable and landscape heritage, conceived according to aims and purposes analogous to those 3. Protection recommended by UNESCO. The Structural Plan, the other town planning instruments Legislative and Administrative Arrangements currently in effect (Town Planning Regulations, • Siena has adopted “modern” urban planning Functions Plan, Color Plan) and the combined tools since 1931 The Structural Plan for the whole of all these regulations represent an municipal territory and relative town planning effective instrument for the protection, regulations are in preparation in order to adapt conservation, and compatible development of existing norms and conservation restrictions, the territory: outdated by now, to current needs. The entire - The Structural Plan constitutes the overall historic centre is subjected to national strategic design which forms the base for the conservation restrictions under law no. 1497/39 operative urban planning projects. The by ministerial decree of 25/03/1965 and is preparation of a preliminary general largely subject also to the restrictions on informational picture is close to conclusion; it monuments formerly governed by Law 1089/39 furnishes, among other things, a system of (now Legislative Decree no. 42/04). Also in indicators for the evaluation and control of the force in the historic centre are a series of more environmental variables, predisposed according specific regulations and preservation plans to to the DPSIR method adopted by the European answer to particular aims: Environment Agency. The plan is constructed - General Urban Plan: regulates building activity favouring economic and functional criteria over in the municipal territory, identifies new traditional bureaucratic criteria. Furthermore, buildable sites, areas where no building is the adoption of a participatory approach, along allowed, and the existing buildings to be with attention to the processes of cooperation protected, preserved, and maintained between public and private subjects, has led to - Plan for the distribution and localization of the consideration of innovative solutions, for functions example, for the planning and management of - Color plan green space. Imitating the concept of a buffer - Plan for the installation of prefabricated kiosks; zone, the Plan also aims to extend the status of - Plans for the rationalization of commerce both historic centre to certain areas adjacent to but in shops and sidewalk vendors outside the city walls. - Plan for the management of structures for - The Town Planning Regulations (governed by publicity and advertising art. 55, L.R. 1-2005) control town planning and - Regulation of limited-traffic zone building activities for the entire municipal - Regulation of solid waste management territory. This represents the normative aspect - Regulations for the installation of antennas of the General Urban Plan - Acoustic classification plan - Electromagnetic monitoring Status of Authenticity/Integrity • Special law for Siena: this is a special law that • World Heritage site values have been allows the City to grant financial contributions or maintained tax breaks for the rehabilitation and restoration State of Conservation of World Heritage Properties in Europe SECTION II

of buildings and the facades and roofs of • University, local banks, the Monte dei Paschi di buildings located in the historic centre Siena Foundation; private financing • The protection arrangements are considered • Some of the unsatisfied needs concern the sufficiently effective maintenance of public and private buildings and streets, and the management of museums, Actions taken/proposed: theatres, and cultural activities in general, due • Gathering together into one law all the to insufficient financing. This lack of money regulations and restrictions governing the limits activities in these sectors historic centre would enable anyone to operate • The municipal administration commits itself to smoothly on the site, respecting the finding the necessary funds through sources of conservation criteria imposed by any level of public financing, forms of private financing, co- the public administration; using the services of projects, and public-private financing at a local professionally qualified; personnel, the aim is to level gather together all the rules, regulations, and • Insufficient specific plans that govern all the activities carried out in the historic centre of Siena, to analyze all these texts in order to identify 7. Staffing Levels possible areas of contradiction, overlap, or • Since the site is an inhabited and vital historic lacunae, and to rewrite new regulations taking city centre, numerous activities are supported in into account existing rules, adding to or whole or in part by volunteer work, including correcting these on the basis of the findings social, recreational, and cultural initiatives, all

important and worthy of note, but the form of 4. Management volunteer work par excellence, which has enabled Siena to hand down its own special Use of site/property historical and cultural identity for centuries, is • Urban centre unquestionably the work done for the Palio

Management /Administrative Body Rate of access to adequate professional staff • Management by the State Party, under across the following disciplines: protective legislation, in accordance with laws • Very good: conservation, promotion; concerning conservation interpretation, visitor management • Levels of public authority who are primarily • Good: management, education involved with the management of the site: national, regional, local. The Contradas: these are 17 associations of free citizens with their 8. Sources of Expertise and Training in own hierarchical structure, which have divided Conservation and Management the historic centre into districts since the Middle Techniques Ages; they organize the social life of the Sienese people and the PALIO, the city’s most • Available to the personnel working in the site ancient traditional festivity are museums, libraries, research centres, • The current management system is sufficiently training centres, cultural service centres, tourist effective service centres, schools, and universities. These structures fall within the sphere of the City of Siena, the University, and the 5. Management Plan Superintendent of Monuments of the Provinces • Management plan under preparation of Siena and Grosseto • Implementation commence: 12/2006 • Training available for stakeholders • Responsibility for over-seeing the implementation of the management plan and 9. Visitor Management monitoring its effectiveness: City of Siena • Visitor statistics: 372,000 (statistics by the 6. Financial Resources Provincial Office of Tourism and the Chamber of Commerce), 2002 Financial situation • Visitor facilities: visitor welcome centres; tourist • State Budget; Province of Siena offices; hospitality structures of various levels • European DOCUP funds and categories; food providers of various levels State of Conservation of World Heritage Properties in Europe SECTION II

and categories; characteristic artisan 12. Factors affecting the Property (State of workshops; centres for the promotion of cultural Conservation) activities; tour guides for general city tours and individual museums, guided tourist itineraries; Reactive monitoring reports organization of cultural and folklore events; • N/A easy-to-use Internet systems and digital media points providing useful information Conservation interventions • Major conservation interventions at the site are: - Cleaning and restoration of the facade of 10. Scientific Studies Town Hall - Restoration of the Cappella di Piazza • Risk assessment, studies related to the value of - Restoration of the Logge del Papa the site, monitoring exercises, archaeological - Restoration of the Siena Cathedral surveys, visitor management, transportation - Restoration of historic fountains studies, verification of the state of conservation - Restoration of the Logge della Mercanzia • Numerous studies have been made on the • New and sustainable uses for historic buildings value of the site (historical, artistic, Archaeological sites; Maintenance and archaeological, sociological, and conservation of facades; Fibre-optic cables anthropological); studies exist on the monitoring under the streets of the city center to eliminate of the state of conservation, on the roof antennas underground cavities, the water system, the • Present state of conservation: Good measurement of electromagnetic pollution, and

on roads and traffic patterns; other studies Threats and Risks to site concern the analysis of tourist demand and • Natural disasters; visitor/tourism impact; commercial offerings, monitoring of tourist influx, • Specific issues: the Sienese territory was and analyses of the trends in tourist demand) designated an earthquake-prone area in 1983; • Widespread awareness of the value of the site the national classification system assigns to this has led to greater respect for it and for its most area a risk of medium- to low-intensity seismic characteristic elements. Evaluation of the flow events. Italian legislation, in line with European of tourists has conditioned the system of traffic, legislation, provides for a number of sufficiently parking, and public transport; this same effective actions and structural verifications to analysis has evidenced the need to spread the be adopted in every instance of construction tourist influx over all the seasons of the year by work involving the load-bearing structures of attempting to arrange the calendar of events to buildings. As for the risk resulting from the differentiate the offerings during the course of human presence, the intense pressure of the year tourists requires constant monitoring, especially in terms of hospitality structures. The 11. Education, Information and Awareness entrepreneurial spirit must be subordinated to Building precise criteria of compatibility both in terms of quantity and quality through a policy of • An adequate number of signs referring to World protection of the city’s characteristic traits Heritage site • Emergency measures taken: Risk of • World Heritage Convention Emblem is not used earthquakes: a specific law is in force requiring on publications all the buildings on which structural work has • Adequate awareness of World Heritage among: been done to meet standards of protection and local authorities safety • Need for awareness raising: greater use of the logo on locally produced articles and souvenirs; 13. Monitoring direct or indirect concession of grants to increase and improve protection of the site • No formal monitoring programme • Web site available • Measures taken/planned: in the Management • Local participation: many steps have been Plan currently being drawn up, it will be taken to involve local people in the necessary to work out and develop key management of the site which should produce indicators for the monitoring of the gradient of results in the future conservation of the universal value of the property State of Conservation of World Heritage Properties in Europe SECTION II

14. Conclusions and Recommended Actions • Main benefits of WH status: conservation; social • Strengths/Weaknesses of management: essentially two weak points have been identified which most affect the site: 1) the intense pressure caused by the influx of tourists concentrated in just a few months of the year; 2) the progressive abandonment of the historic centre by the resident population

Future actions: • Tourist flow: a policy has been enacted aimed at spreading the phenomenon over the entire year by offering different cultural events throughout the year. Organisation responsible: City of Siena. Timeframe: 1 year • Depopulation of the historic centre; with regard to the depopulation of the historic centre, political programs are being studied to maintain the residential destination of the buildings and to lower the price of housing. Organisation responsible: City of Siena. Timeframe: 3-5 years