At the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Fuzhou, China, on 28 July 2021, the property designated as ‘The Porticoes of Bologna’ was included in the World Heritage List.
The porticoes of Bologna” have been inscribed upon the World Heritage List of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Inscription on this List confirms the Outstanding Universal Value of a cultural or natural property which deserves protection for the benefit of all humanity
This is the 58th Italian property to be added to the World Heritage List. Its inclusion was the result of extensive research that lasted several years, after the subject of porticoes had been explored as never before in the 1990s by Francesca Bocchi and her team. From here emerges the distinctive feature of Bologna that makes it unique in the world, in terms not only of the extent and duration of the phenomenon, but also the legal status of the portico: private property available for public use.
Following an initial application in 2006, the nomination was resubmitted in 2018. In 2020, the nomination file was submitted to the UNESCO offices, thereby initiating the evaluation process by the Committee. The nomination process was not smooth or straightforward, but just as hope was beginning to fade, the encouraging news arrived. That was indeed three years ago, on 28 July.
Subsequently, a dedicated office known as the World Heritage Porticoes Office was established and a site manager, architect Federica Legnani, was appointed with the specific mandate of ensuring that the Porticoes of Bologna maintain and enhance their ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ because the property ‘deserves protection for the benefit of all humanity’.
