The planning of the management of the UNESCO Historic Center is open to citizen participation. To gather input from those who live in the area under special protection, the City of Naples organized an afternoon of listening and discussion, which was held in the Sala del Lazzaretto of the Ospedale della Pace. The initiative was attended by Mayor Gaetano Manfredi, Deputy Prosecutor of the Naples Public Prosecutor’s Office Pierpaolo Filippelli, Luciano Schifone, advisor to the Minister of Culture, the president of the Technical-Scientific Committee for the drafting of the new Management Plan for the Historic Center Alessandro Castagnaro, and the president of the Permanent Observatory for the Historic Center of Naples – UNESCO site Gennaro Rispoli. The proceedings were moderated by Maria Grazia Falciatore, Chief of Staff to the Mayor and site manager for the UNESCO Historic Center. Thirty associations expressed their willingness to take part in this process of sharing measures and objectives for the protection of the area.

In November last year, the City Council initiated procedures for the drafting of a new Management Plan for the Historic Center, replacing the previous one, which dates back to 2011. To this end, two bodies were established. The first is the Technical-Scientific Committee, which includes, together with the leaders of the Municipality, representatives of the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Naples, the Curia, the State Property Office, the city’s universities and the Academy of Fine Arts, as well as international organizations and national and local associations. The other body is the Steering Committee, made up of the relevant municipal offices, the UNESCO office of the Ministry of Culture, the Campania Region, the State Property Office, the Curia, and the UNESCO Permanent Observatory for the Historic Center of Naples. Municipalities 1, 2, 3, and 4, which are located within the UNESCO site, are also collaborating in the activities.

During today’s meeting, the actions already undertaken by the municipal administration were illustrated, such as the redevelopment and repurposing of the Real Albergo dei Poveri, the introduction of restrictions on the opening of new food & beverage businesses beverage businesses within the Historic Center, the monitoring of short-term rentals and B&B activities, the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Naples and the Superintendency for the shared and transparent management of archaeological, artistic, and historical assets owned by the Municipality of Naples, and the program for the extraordinary opening of some churches of particular value. Finally, suggestions and reports submitted by associations were collected in view of the new Management Plan.