1.
Historic Centre of Naples (Italy) (C 726bis)
Year of inscription on the World Heritage List 1995
Criteria (ii)(iv)
Year(s) of inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger N/A
Previous Committee Decisions see page http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/726/documents/
International Assistance
Requests approved: 0
Total amount approved: USD 0
For details, see page http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/726/assistance/
UNESCO Extra-budgetary Funds
Total amount: USD 201,900 from the Funds-in-Trust “A Management Plan for the Historic Centre of
Naples” in 2010-2011
Previous monitoring missions
December 2008: joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS advisory mission
Factors affecting the property identified in previous reports
a) Lack of continuous maintenance and monitoring of the urban fabric;
b) Weaknesses in coordinating the complex safeguarding and development process; lack of
management plan;
c) Lack of formal clarifications of the delimitations of the property; lack of a buffer zone.
Illustrative material see page http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/726/
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2011
On 31 January 2011, a report on the state of conservation was submitted by the State Party. The report
provides detailed information on the main outcomes and the implementation of the recommendations of
the joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS advisory mission carried out from 9 to 13 December 2008. The
report also provides information on the preparation of the management plan and on the overall
implementation of Decision 33 COM 7B.110 by the Municipality of Naples in its capacity of site manager
of the inscribed property.
a) Management plan
At its 33rd session (Seville, 2009), the World Heritage Committee urged the authorities to commence
the preparation of a management plan in full consultation with all stakeholders, the World Heritage
Centre and ICOMOS.
On 3 February 2010, UNESCO and the Municipality of Naples, in liaison with the Government of Italy,
signed a Funds-in-trust agreement enabling UNESCO to assist in the implementation of a project
entitled “A Management Plan for the Historic Centre of Naples”. The main objective of the project was
to advise and assist the Municipality of Naples, in close consultation with the Italian Ministry of Culture,
in the preparation of a management plan for the effective protection of the property, in conformity with
the conclusions of the Periodic Report for the Europe and North America region (2006) and of the
Decision 33 COM 7B.110 (Seville, 2009). Two meetings of international experts in the field of
management of urban properties were jointly organised by UNESCO and the Municipality of Naples and
were held in June and November 2010 in Naples, with the aim to set the general reference frame for
the draft plan, to provide an analysis of management scenarios and to set jointly the objectives and
strategies of the management plan.
In the preparation of the management plan, the site manager and the technical assistance provider used
the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach as put forward in the draft text of the new proposed
Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape submitted to Member States in August 2010.
The report of the State Party points out that the Municipality of Naples is putting in place a structured
coordinated management approach, with clear roles and responsibilities, to ensure an effective
management system taking into account the complexity and the size of the property, with its manifold
challenges and inputs from the main stakeholders involved (public and private entities such as the Port
authority, professional associations, academia, individual experts, civil society), through a set of
workshops with the representatives of the main stakeholders. The draft management plan was
presented to the citizens of Naples in the framework of a set of public meetings organised by the
Municipality of Naples in December 2010 and January 2011.
The plan foresees the establishment of a new management structure within the Municipality of Naples,
directly under the authority of the Mayor of Naples, which will be mandated to coordinate and take proper
action in the fulfilment of the principles and priorities set out in the management plan and act as a site
manager of the property.
The management plan also deals with the integrated conservation of the broader urban fabric of Naples
and its sense of place, with an emphasis on both monumental and non-monumental heritage, and sets
criteria and priorities for the implementation of large rehabilitation projects within the inscribed property.
The management plan was submitted to the World Heritage Centre on 31 January 2011.
With regard to the other specific issues raised by the 2008 advisory mission, namely the threats brought
forward by the intense traffic (vehicle congestion, air pollution, noise, vibrations) and the potential
challenge to the physical, environmental and social integrity of the historic centre, the management plan
includes a “traffic plan” with ad hoc actions to reduce and monitor the negative effects of the intense
traffic. The plan also includes measures aimed at a better coordination between the cultural tourism
policies of the World Heritage properties located in the vicinity of Naples. It identifies actions aimed at
enhancing the support of cultural districts within the Historic Centre.
With reference to the “Universal Forum of Cultures”, to be held in 2013 in Naples and expected to attract
a large number of tourists, the State Party report states that it intends to mobilize funds from the
European Union Regional Development Funds 2007-2013 and from additional public resources with a
view of rehabilitating historic buildings within the Historic Centre and to revitalizing the large areas
adjacent to the Historic Centre that will host the event.
b) Boundaries of the property and buffer zone
On 31 January 2011, the State Party, in response to the request by the World Heritage Committee in its
Decision 33 COM 7B.110, also submitted a set of maps clarifying the delimitation of the property at the
time of its inscription. It also submitted a proposed draft retrospective Statement of Outstanding
Universal Value, together with a proposal for a minor boundary modification concerning the enlargement
of the inscribed property and the establishment of a buffer zone (see Documents WHC-11/35.COM/8B
and WHC-11/35.COM/8D). The latter includes the area comprising the Port managed by the Port
authority, further to the recommendations of the 2008 advisory mission and the recommendations made
by the above mentioned expert meetings pertaining to the management plan development.
Analysis and Conclusions of the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and ICCROM
The World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS take note of the efforts to implement the recommendations of
the 2008 advisory mission and encourage the State Party to fully implement the principles and actions
set out in the management plan. While no report is requested for the next sessions of the Committee,
the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies request the State Party to keep them informed about
the further implementation of measures and any new developments and projects which may have an
impact on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational
Guidelines, and to report progress in the implementation of the recommendations within the framework
of the forthcoming Periodic Reporting Exercise for Europe and North America to be launched in 2012.
Decision Adopted: 35 COM 7B.97
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-11/35.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 33 COM 7B.110, adopted at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009),
3. Takes note of the information provided by the State Party on the implementation of the
recommendations by the 2008 joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS advisory mission as well as on the
preparation of the management plan for the property;
4. Welcomes the finalisation of the management plan for the property and encourages the State Party
to fully implement the principles and actions set in the management plan with particular reference to the
establishment of a new management structure for the property;
5. Requests the State Party to keep the World Heritage Centre informed about the implementation of
the 2008 mission recommendations and the strategies outlined in the management plan and to report
about their progress within the forthcoming Periodic Reporting Exercise for Europe and North America
to be launched in 2012.
Decision Adopted: 35 COM 8B.56
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Documents WHC-11/35.COM/8B.Add and WHC-11/35.COM/INF.8B1.Add,
2. Approves the proposed minor modification to the boundary of the Historic Centre of Naples, Italy;
3. Approves the proposed buffer zone for the Historic Centre of Naples, Italy;
4. Expresses concern for the recurrent danger, despite the considerable efforts by the State Party, of
giving priority to prestigious built structures and areas to the detriment of modest and fragile urban fabric,
the intangible heritage, and traditional economic activities and recommends that the State Party should
allocate part of the funding collected to restoring the balance.
Decision Adopted: 35 COM 8D
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-11/35.COM/8D,
2. Recalling Decision 34 COM 8D, adopted at its 34th session (Brasilia, 2010),
3. Recalls that the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies will not be able to examine proposals
for minor or significant modifications to boundaries of World Heritage properties when the delimitation
of such properties as inscribed is unclear;
4. Acknowledges the excellent work accomplished by States Parties in the clarification of the delimitation
of their World Heritage properties and thanks them for their efforts to improve the credibility of the World
Heritage List;
5. Takes note of the clarifications of property boundaries and areas provided by the following States
Parties in response to the Retrospective Inventory, as presented in the Annex of Document WHC11/35.COM/8D:
 Algeria: Timgad;
 Australia: Kakadu National Park;
 Czech Republic: Historic Centre of Český Krumlov; Kutná Hora: Historical Town Centre with the
Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec;
 France: Amiens Cathedral; Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Remi and Palace of
Tau, Reims; Bourges Cathedral; Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble
and Avignon Bridge; Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne; Historic Site of Lyons;
 Georgia: Upper Svaneti;
 Italy: Rock Drawings in Valcamonica; Historic Centre of Naples; Villa Romana del Casale;
 Madagascar: Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve;
 Russian Federation: Volcanoes of Kamchatka;
 Spain: Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada; Burgos Cathedral;
 Syrian Arab Republic: Ancient City of Damascus;
 Uganda: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park; Rwenzori Mountains National Park;
6. Requests the European, Arab and African States Parties, which have not yet answered the questions
raised in the framework of the Retrospective Inventory, to provide all clarifications and documentation
as soon as possible and by 1 December 2011 at the latest.