Associazione Beni Italiani
Patrimonio Mondiale

A vocation for culture

Protecting and valorising the extraordinary artistic, cultural, historical and landscape heritage of our country. This is the first commitment that the Associazione Beni Italiani Patrimonio Mondiale UNESCO pursues, through intensive and all-encompassing activities aimed at supporting policies for safeguarding and promotion of the territories and sites that have been awarded the renowned “World Heritage” title by UNESCO.

“Culture is the way we understand the world and the means by which we shape it. […] Culture and heritage are not about stones and buildings – fundamentally, they are about identities and belonging.”.
Irina Bokova, 2014

• Establishment of the Association

  
  The Associazione Beni Italiani Patrimonio Mondiale has been devised and promoted by the city of Vicenza in 1995. It was formally established on October 15, 1997 by the following founding members: the towns of Alberobello, Andria, Capriate San Gervasio, Ferrara, Matera, Ravenna and Vicenza. Over 18 years the Associazione Beni Italiani Patrimonio Mondiale, which now counts 56 members including municipalities, provinces, regions, parks, mountain communities and foundations, has managed to become an important point of reference for all Italian places whose territories host cultural and natural heritage included in the World Heritage List, properties that have a unique value and are truly irreplaceable and unique for mankind and, therefore, constitute an inalienable legacy to pass on to future generations.
  

• Objectives and strategies of the Association

  
  Italy is on top of the world when it comes to cultural and artistic heritage: it is among the countries with the largest number of sites included in the UNESCO Heritage List. Since 1997, the year of its establishment, the association strived to promote initiatives and measures geared on supporting and fostering the knowledge and the correct use of the priceless artistic and cultural resources Italy is rich with that are not often wisely and accurately taken care of and protected; the definition of political and managerial lines and strategies appropriate to ensure the balance between careful and responsible conservation and the essential popularisation and promotion. Ensuring the knowledge and the full enjoyment of Italy’s precious cultural treasure, in fact, is not only a duty that the institutions are required to carry out for the citizens and in particular of the younger generation, the accessibility of the heritage is also an opportunity, a condition that can act as a driver of growth and wealth. The potential of the cultural and landscape heritage capital is enormous: it should also be carefully cultivated through tourism policies capable of providing coordination and integration (between different places, regions and contexts) and making of this integration an element of strength and cohesion necessary for a substantial and much needed leap of quality. Italy has all the features needed to become an essential destination and point of reference at international level, even more that it has been able to do until now. The whole concept of enjoying tourism in a a harmonious, emotional way and experience ties to deep and meaningful experiences is quite appreciated and this is show by the massive tourist flows: art cities, cultural venues and travels providing knowledge and inner enrichment seem quite resistant to the economic crisis and certainly can be a key factor to re-launch Italian economy and tourism. The Associazione Beni Italiani Patrimonio Mondiale UNESCO must, for this very reason, be fully aware of the importance of their role and be able to stand its ground to defend it. The association is presently the key contact point for public and private institutions interested in reviving and boosting the cultural tourism sector through memoranda of understanding, agreements, partnerships and collaborations on a national scale. In doing its work the association interacts mainly with the government, namely the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and Tourism and also to the UNESCO Italian National Commission and the Centre for World Heritage.
  

• The association's operating modes

  
  Associazione Beni Italiani Patrimonio Mondiale UNESCO works chiefly through participatory projects and initiatives such as: organization of exhibitions, participation in trade fairs, publishing of works for a particular target audience, books on the cultural development issues and UNESCO sites protection, development and dissemination of multimedia tools on the UNESCO issues and values ​​also directed at supporting teaching.
  The coordination of the activities of the Association is entrusted to the Secretariat, which is based at the Municipality of Ferrara.
  

Law no. 77 of February 20, 2006

Italy is the only country in the world to have adopted a special law that recognizes the existence of UNESCO excellence. Law no. 77/2006, “Special measures for protection and fruition of Italian cultural, landscape and environmental heritage sites entered in the UNESCO World Heritage List and therefore under the protection of UNESCO,” is an important step, because it introduced a regulatory framework for the UNESCO excellence sites and assigned specific financial resources for their protection and exploitation.

• This law is the key regulatory instrument to finance projects for the protection and enhancement of the Italian UNESCO Heritage

  
  Associazione Beni Italiani Patrimonio Mondiale is also the only subject, together with the managers of the sites, to officially be eligible for the granting of funds provided for by Law no.77 of February 20, 2006 to be used for the protection, management and valorisation of the Italian UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Over time, the association, which today counts municipalities, provinces, regions, parks, mountain communities and foundations among its members, has been able to gradually become an increasingly important point of reference for all Italian cities whose territories host cultural and natural heritage included in the World Heritage List. This was possible thanks to the association’s ability to build a strong and solid network that takes advantage of skills that are refined from year to year. Another significant fact is that the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and Tourism has listed the Associazione Beni Italiani Patrimonio Mondiale among the national reference bodies for the implementation of the “Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of Humanity”, like the permanent Inter-ministerial Working Group for UNESCO World Heritage, the Office of the World Heritage and the Italian National Commission for UNESCO.