State of Conservation of World Heritage Properties in Europe SECTION II

Recommendation: That this property be inscribed on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv): The complex of Early Christian religious Early Christian Monuments of monuments in are of outstanding Ravenna Significance by virtue of the supreme artistry of the art that they contain, and also because of the crucial evidence that they provide of artistic and Brief description religious relationships and contacts at an important Ravenna was the seat of the Roman Empire in the period of European cultural history. 5th century and then of until the 8th century. It has a unique collection of early Christian Committee Decision and monuments. All eight buildings – the of Galla Placidia, the Neonian Bureau (June 1996): The Bureau recommended the Baptistery, the of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Committee to inscribe the nominated property on the , the Archiepiscopal Chapel, the the basis of criteria (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) considering , the of San Vitale that the site is of outstanding universal value being and the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe – were of remarkable significance by virtue of the supreme constructed in the 5th and 6th centuries. They show artistry of the mosaic art that the monuments great artistic skill, including a wonderful blend of contain, and also because of the crucial evidence Graeco-Roman tradition, Christian iconography and that they provide of artistic and religious oriental and Western styles. relationships and contacts at an important period of European cultural history. The Bureau decided to

rename the property to "The Early Christian 1. Introduction Monuments and Mosaics of Ravenna". Year(s) of Inscription 1996 Session (1996): The Committee decided to inscribe the nominated property on the basis of cultural Agency responsible for site management criteria (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) considering that the site • Tourism Service and Cultural Activities- is of outstanding universal value being of Municipality of Ravenna remarkable significance by virtue of the supreme Via Salara 8/12 artistry of the mosaic art that the monuments 48100 Ravenna, Italy contain, and also because of the crucial evidence E-mail: [email protected] that they provide of artistic and religious Website: www.turismo.ra.it relationships and contacts at an important period of European cultural history. The original name of the nominated property has been changed to "The 2. Statement of Significance Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna". Inscription Criteria C (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) • Statement of significance adequately defines Justification provided by the State Party the outstanding universal value of the site • Change proposed by State Party for the name No single statement provided for the 8 structures. of the site: The Early Christian and Byzantine

historical buildings of Ravenna As provided in ICOMOS evaluation Qualities: The Early Christian buildings of Ravenna Boundaries and Buffer Zone are without parallel in the information that they • Status of boundaries of the site: adequate provide about artistic contacts and developments in • Buffer zone: adequate this highly significant period in the cultural • The Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Neonian development of Europe. They constitute an epitome Baptistery, Basilica of San Apollinare Nuovo, of religious and funerary art and architecture during Archiepiscopal Chapel and Church of San the 6th century. The mosaics are among the Vitale are historical buildings protected de iure highest expressions of this form of art surviving by the Legislative Decree n. 42 of January anywhere in Europe, and have added importance 2004 “Code of cultural heritage and landscape”. because of the blending of western and eastern The Arian Baptistery, Theodoric’s Mausoleum motifs and techniques. and Basilica of S. Apollinare in Classe are State of Conservation of World Heritage Properties in Europe SECTION II

historical buildings protected by decree of 14 5. Management Plan July 1979 ex lege 1089/39 and article 822 of the Civil Code • Management plan is being implemented • The buffer zone is defined by the constraints of • Implementation commenced: 05/2005 law that delimit respect. Furthermore on 23 • Very effective June 2005 approval was given to the City • Responsibility for over-seeing the Strategic Plan which includes the historical implementation of the management plan and buildings of the World Heritage site as cultural monitoring its effectiveness: Municipality of emergencies Ravenna- Tourism and Cultural Activities Service. A UNESCO office has been set up in Status of Authenticity/Integrity the ambit of the Service by legislative act LW • World Heritage site values have been number 262/05 of 23/08/2005 maintained • Presumably no substantial modification can influence the authenticity and integrity of the 6. Financial Resources site Financial situation • State Budget 3. Protection • MIBAC/Superintendence funds, Archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia for property belonging to the Legislative and Administrative Arrangements Church • The General Urban Planning Scheme 2003 • Sufficient requires the intentional sustainable valorisation of ‘local qualities’ to ensure Ravenna a position in global networks. The preliminary document 7. Staffing Levels of the Strategic City Plan was approved in 2003. The Territorial Plan for Provincial Coordination • Number of staff: 46 is the overall planning instrument Rate of access to adequate professional staff • The protection arrangements are considered across the following disciplines: highly effective Very good: conservation, management, • promotion; interpretation; education; visitor 4. Management management • The Archdiocese of Ravenna and Cervia has a Use of site/property religion and art education service for the • Visitor attraction; Religious use historic buildings of Ravenna that provides

Management /Administrative Body guided tours with a representative of the ‘Opera • Steering group; Formally constituted; The di Religione’ organisation inside the building mandate of the committee is the coordination of itself competent bodies in regard to the assets, in • Support of regular volunteers for the site: order to produce an integrated model of ‘Opera di Religione’ collaboration of voluntary management workers as attendants • Management by the State Party; The Management organisation of the site has a 8. Sources of Expertise and Training in complex structure, at the first level consisting of the owners, the Church and the State, in the Conservation and Management persons of their relative management bodies, Techniques ‘Opera di Religione’ and Superintendence, and • The presence of the university and other a system level institutes specialised in conservation and • Site manager with responsibilities added to an restoration, as well as the recent setting up of a existing job documentation centre devoted to mosaics, is • Levels of public authority who are primarily the guaranteed, in a continuous form, of the involved with the management of the site: specialist and teaching staff at various levels national; regional; local • Training available to stakeholders • The current management system is highly effective

State of Conservation of World Heritage Properties in Europe SECTION II

9. Visitor Management grants for carrying through the “Map of archaeological potential of the ancient city of • Visitor statistics: 820.859 (tickets and Classe” project which concerns the activities of attendants), 2004 documentary collection and research. • Visitor facilities: and International Mosaic Documentation Centre: Mausoleum of Galla Placidia: Bookshop, audio- The purpose of the mosaic databank is to guides on payment, access for the disabled, encourage the research and study of ancient hygiene services; Arian Baptistery: access for and modern international mosaics, in the disabled. Neonian Baptistery: access for the connection with history, hermeneutics, stylistic disabled, audio-guides. Basilica of S. Apollinare influences, restoration and conservation and Nuovo: bookshop, hygiene services, self- secondly, to develop strategies that permit all service, audio-guides, visit introduction room. users to have easier access to national and Theodoric’s Mausoleum: bookshop, tourist international cultural resources and heritage of information office, hygiene services, tourist public value, guaranteeing free circulation of coach parking, camper area, Public Park, visit knowledge introduction room. Basilica of S. Apollinare in Classe: bookshop, tourist information office, hygiene services, tourist coach parking, self- 11. Education, Information and Awareness service, camper area. There are tourist street Building signs for the old city centre, providing • An adequate number of signs referring to World information on which buildings are included in Heritage site the UNESCO list and the routes connecting the • World Heritage Convention Emblem used on sites; new map of the old city centre of publications Ravenna etc. • Adequate awareness of World Heritage among: visitors, local communities, businesses, local 10. Scientific Studies authorities • In the sphere of the general training plan two • Risk assessment, studies related to the value of different kinds of training levels. Specialist the monument, monitoring exercises, condition training is connected with the university and surveys, archaeological surveys, visitor specialisation schools: System of guided tours management, transportation studies and workshops. As regards specialist training: • Risk evaluation and determination of the state Faculty of Conservation of Cultural Heritage etc. of conservation, with special regard to subjects • Mosaic Restoration School branch of the such as land subsidence, chipped mortar, “Scuola di Restauro dell'Opificio delle Pietre condensation damp, and pollution. Dure” of Florence, at the Superintendence for Archaeological dig of 4,000 square meters in Architectural Heritage and Landscape of the archaeological area of Classe with Ravenna. The institute is also a technical participation of 150 young graduates and reference point for all operators and offers students from the faculty of Conservation of training by means of activities, conferences and Cultural Heritage of Ravenna for the creation of specific operations, providing concrete and the first part of the Archaeological Park of methodologically correct proposals for the Classe. The International Mosaic institutes and bodies that request consultation Documentation Centre is the promoter of services for projects and works on ancient and various scientific research activities on mosaics, contemporary mosaics with two main projects: mosaic databank • Heritage days; System of guided tours in which dedicated to contemporary mosaics and the “Mosaico di Notte” scheme should be databank dedicated to contemporary mosaicists mentioned. This scheme concerns the evening • Results: Risk evaluation. A risk map for the opening of the historic buildings of Ravena, cultural heritage has been produced. which was the promoter of a new form of Archaeological surveys: The new valorising cultural tourism, an innovative archaeological digs have multiple objectives, of process for utilisation of historic buildings. The which it is interesting to emphasise the special opening of historic buildings was also improvement of scientific research, the supported with cultural entertainment (concerts, involvement of young people and the meetings, conferences) in the sites and their valorisation also for tourism purposes of the immediate vicinity. Another special event is the archaeological area. Assignment of study Exhibition of copies of ancient mosaics, an State of Conservation of World Heritage Properties in Europe SECTION II

exceptional promotional vehicle for the city and Sancta Sanctorum Chapel was completed. for the tradition of the mosaic schools of S. Apollinare in Classe: regular maintenance Ravenna which over the years have continued work has been done in a number of operations to distinguish themselves for faithfulness to concerning mainly the roof and the bell tower, past traditions and for new artistic experiments. the internal illumination system was installed, The various editions of the exhibition, which the green area in front of the basilica was from the fifties until now has travelled the entire enlarged and provided with a large parking world, have always been a great success with area located at a respectable distance and the public, In the year 2000 the mosaics have hidden behind green screens and visitor been on show in London, Cyprus, Tel Aviv, facilities Bethlehem, , Athens, Salzburg, Munich, • Present state of conservation: Good Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Bremen and Krakow. • Web site available Threats and Risks to site • Specific issues: The historical buildings of Ravenna are subject to the following risk 12. Factors affecting the Property (State of factors: subsistence, condensation damp, and Conservation) pollution. The ground of Ravenna is subject to subsidence phenomena (lowering of the ground Reactive monitoring reports level) producing different levels of drop that • N/A affect the higher building parts. Subsidence is accompanied by a rise in the water table. In Conservation interventions some monuments the surface level of the water • Mausoleum of Galla Placidia: microclimatic table is higher than that of the original floors surveys and analyses of the deposits on the and therefore drainage and water removal mosaic surfaces were carried out. It was systems have been installed. The condensation decided to limit the number of persons present damp (due to early formation of the dew point) during the visit to the mausoleum to 15. is caused mainly by the tourist flow and the Cleaning and restoration operation and thermal-hydrologic characteristics of the documentation of all the external parameters of environment. The industrialisation of the city of the mausoleum had been completed and the Ravenna and the high level of traffic in the area in front of the building was given paving vicinity or some historic buildings have caused more suitable for a high flow of tourists. an increase in the quantity of dust and Neonian Baptistery: a prototype documentation aggressive substances of mosaics was produced containing not only the complete set of historical data but also all Emergency measures taken the information from the analyses carried out • Neonian Baptistery. In the near future, after previously. A restoration project was started on completion of the restoration of the cupola the mosaics of the cupola. S. Apollinare Nuovo: decorated with mosaics, an intelligent The has been restored with the microclimate control system will be installed restoration of the frescoes, stucco, marble which will be capable of optimising the internal funereal monuments located in the presbytery, parameters of temperature and relative the cleaning of the eighteenth century altar and humidity without the need to limit the number of finally reconstruction of the floor. Arian visitors to twenty persons Baptistery: stair lift was installed to help the • Bassilica of S. Apollinare in Classe; During the disabled. Archiepiscopal Chapel: restoration summer of 2005, while maintenance was being works were started on the Archiepiscopal done on the electrical plant, structural Museum. Theodoric’s Mausoleum: the stone deformations were discovered in the wooden external facing was restored, also using laser trusses of the central aisle due to wood-eating technology, and the interior of the two cells. A insects and contractions due to the wood drainage system was built around the building seasoning. Very urgent works have been to take away the water rising from underground arranged - the works are currently in progress and also a new organisation of the surrounding area. Basilica of S.Vitale: important series 13. Monitoring restoration works was resumed, an illumination system was installed, and the central octagon • Formal monitoring programme of the sixteenth century floor was completely • In the territory of the municipality of Ravenna a restored. One of the two pastophoria, the number of instruments and environmental State of Conservation of World Heritage Properties in Europe SECTION II

monitoring activities are in operation. The report on the state of the environment, in collaboration with the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection, requires constant forms of monitoring of the state of the water, green areas and traffic. The participation of the Municipality of Ravenna in the first European environmental accounting project applied to local bodies, named CLEAR, standing for City and Local Environmental Accounting and Reporting, has produced, among other things, the drafting of the environmental balance for the year 2003 and the very recent approval of the environmental forecast balance for 2005. In regard to the monitoring activities on the state of the historic buildings, the responsibility lies with the local Superintendence, a responsibility which, in the context of the agreements deriving from the application of the Management Plan, can be exploited for other monitoring activities (for example on visitors).

14. Conclusions and Recommended Actions • What has changed considerably in recent years, and which is probably based on the recognition of the universal value that UNESCO has given to the city, is the progress made in the idea of system, network and cultural identity. The city has recognised in primis its own identity as a city of culture, and therefore as a destination for cultural tourism, a city that produces cultural events and that innovates and experiments also in the organisation of culture with new cultural bodies, from the University to the foundations and institutions • Strength/Weaknesses of management: the great age of the buildings and successive stratification of history have made these sites isolated events in the territory, probably less integrated in the territory as happens instead for buildings of more recent historical periods. It is necessary an intensive policy of integration of the environment of historic buildings into the urban and suburban fabric as indicated in the Management Plan