Official, the Porticoes of Bologna are candidates for UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The outcome will be known in 2021

The porticos of Bologna are officially candidates for UNESCO World Heritage Site status: the submission of the candidacy was deliberated this morning by the Governing Council of the Italian National Commission for UNESCO, meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. In 2021 the outcome of the proceedings will be known and it will be known whether the porticos of Bologna will be a new world heritage site for Italy.

If Unesco gives its approval, twelve elements of the 62 kilometers of porticos in the historic center and immediate suburbs (to be precise, 42 kilometers run through the heart of the city, and 20 outside the ring avenues, traced on the perimeter of the ancient walls) will become part of the World Heritage Site. When submitting the provisional dossier last year, the Municipality of Bologna had reiterated the importance of these monumental assets: “the portico has been the place of shelter and decorum par excellence, made available to the whole community, and finally the social aspect: from the Middle Ages to the present day, porticoes represent the place of integration par excellence, where civil and religious spaces, private homes, belonging to all social classes, are perfectly integrated.”

The candidacy process had begun in March last year with the drafting of the dossier submitted to MiBACT in September: in the fall, MiBACT had evaluated the dossier, approving it, and the document had then been turned over to UNESCO, which had given the okay pending the final dossier. And the final dossier is what the Council presented this morning. “The presentation of the candidacy of I Portici di Bologna to the World Heritage List for the cycle 202-2021, approved by the Commission’s Governing Council,” said Franco Bernabè, president of the Unesco National Commission for Italy, “represents the conclusion of a choral work between civil society and local administrators. The candidacy highlights the universal value of the portico as an architectural, cultural and identity element.”

For Minister Dario Franceschini this is “great news for Bologna and for Italy. The porticoes are extraordinary and unique and I am sure that with their beauty they will conquer the world.” The candidacy, Franceschini added, “is also a source of pride because it was born thanks to a strong synergy between institutions and civil society and is felt and supported by the entire Bologna community.”

Also satisfied was the mayor of Bologna, Virginio Merola: “a great and well-deserved achievement for Bologna, an achievement of the whole city. Bologna, once again, has been able to express its deepest character: the ability to work together and united for our city. I thank the municipal administration, the aldermen involved in this impressive work and all the offices whose contribution has been and will be decisive.”

Pictured: the porticoes of Via Indipendenza at night. Ph. Credit Maretta Angelini

Official, the Porticoes of Bologna are candidates for UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The outcome will be known in 2021

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.