Centre for Sustainable Heritage Conservation
THE RATIONALE OF THE PROJECT
To establish in Italy, directly connected with the Mediterranean region, a research and training centre, based on humanistic principles, concerned with the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, in its various tangible and intangible forms (monuments, architectures, territories and cultural landscapes, social practices, knowledge and practices concerning nature, the environment and the universe).
The principles on which the project is based are consistent with the positions taken in recent years by the UN, UNESCO and UN-Habitat and expressed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2015), the New Urban Agenda (2016) and the Hangzhou Declaration Placing Culture at the Heart of Sustainable Development (2013).
This suggests the opportunity to make Italy an undisputed reference point for research, the development of solutions and the training of practitioners and scholars in the field of conservation, enhancement and management of cultural heritage, in a perspective of sustainability and following a multidisciplinary humanistic approach, in which culture has the key role it deserves
AREAS OF INTEREST
Protection of heritage from natural disasters
Earthquakes, floods, hydrogeological instability, erosion, desertification - ad human action - fires, pollution, climate change, excessive human load.
(UNESCO chairs of the University for Foreigners of Perugia, University of Florence and La Sapienza University of Rome)
Heritage and new urbanization processes
Risk of destruction or alteration of individual sites and territories. New role of heritage elements in rapidly transforming urban / territorial contexts.
(UNESCO chairs of the University of Ferrara, the IUAV University of Venice, La Sapienza University of Rome, the Polytechnic University of Milan, the Polytechnic University of Turin)
Heritage and social and economic processes
Immigration from different cultural backgrounds; permanent and temporary immigration; shared, disputed, conflicting heritage; segregation, inclusion, exclusion, etc.; economy of culture, costs and benefits of conservation, economic induced heritage, etc.
(UNESCO chairs of the University of Basilicata, University of Florence-IUSSAF, University of Turin)
Tourism and Heritage
Positive aspects and risks, social participation of insiders and outsiders to territorial practices and policies, sustainable local development.
(UNESCO chairs of the University of Basilicata, University of Bologna, Politecnico di Torino)
Innovative technologies for documentation, analysis, management, monitoring of environmental conditions
Communication technologies (MOOC). Virtual assets.
(UNESCO chairs of the University of Ferrara, the University Florence and the University of Turin).
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
Hydrogeological risk and historical human settlements
Natural events often cause severe damages to artistic, historical and archaeological properties, and to the economy, as well as losses of human lives. An interdisciplinary approach involving both technical and social and governance aspects can be developed with specific reference to non-structural measures, which involve users and managers of the areas at risk.
Seismic monitoring aimed at the preventive conservation of historical buildings
The research is designed to develop methodologies and systems for a timely diagnosis of historic buildings following seismic events by processing information provided by different kinds of sensors and measuring instruments. The purpose of these actions is to establish priorities in safety interventions, especially to prevent damages in case of seismic waves.
Environmental Comfort
The research project aims at re-functionalising and enhancing the historical-architectural heritage; at adjusting it to host public and private services, and at introducing innovative solutions that produce high energy saving and foster environmental sustainability. This will make possible to formulate new protocols of adaptation, energy efficiency and environmental well-being, suitable to be replicated in historical architectures of urban and peri-urban areas.
The reconstruction of architectural structures damaged or destroyed by natural disasters
Values and identities, in relation to cultural heritage and landscape are, play a fundamental role in the post-trauma reconstruction of communities and individuals. There are structural problems related to building types and buildings’ location in the pre-existing context.
ACADEMIC TEAM
University for Foreigners of Perugia
UNESCO Chair in “Water resources management and culture”
Lucio Ubertini (Founders Committee Coordinator)
Chiara Biscarini (SHeC Director 2019-2021)
Università di Ferrara
UNESCO Chair in “Urban and Regional Planning for Local Sustainable Development”
Paolo Ceccarelli (Scientific Council Coordinator)
Università della Basilicata
UNESCO Chair in “Mediterranean cultural landscape and communities of knowledge”
Angela Colonna
Università di Bologna, Campus di Rimini
UNESCO Chair in “Culture, tourisme, développement”
Fiorella Dallari (responsible of UNITWIN international network)
Università di Firenze
UNESCO Chair in “Human Development and Peace Culture”
Paolo Orefice
UNESCO Chair in “Prevention and Sustainable Management of Geo-hydrological hazards”
Paolo Canuti
Università La Sapienza di Roma
UNESCO Chair in “Sustainable Urban Quality and Urban Culture, notably in Africa”
Lucio Valerio Barbera
Politecnico di Milano, Mantova
UNESCO Chair in “Architectural Preservation and Planning in Heritage Cities”
Federico Bucci
Università di Torino
UNESCO Chair in “Sustainable Development and Territory Management”
Gabriela Cavaglià
Politecnico di Torino
UNESCO Chair in “New paradigms and instruments for the management of Bio-Cultural Landscape”
Giulio Mondini
Università IUAV di Venezia
UNESCO Chair in “Heritage and Urban Regeneration”
Enrico Fontanari