On Friday, September 27, 2019, at the Auditorium of Villa Rufolo in Ravello, the Management Plan for the ‘Amalfi Coast’ UNESCO Site was presented to institutions, associations, and professional orders, showcasing the results of the work conducted over recent years in drafting the plan. After having previously gathered input and requests from the site’s political decision-makers and citizens through numerous local meetings—during which the Plan’s Guidelines and UNESCO’s requirements regarding the participatory management of protected heritage sites were introduced in depth—the working group established by the European University Centre for Cultural Heritage (CUEBC) systematically discussed the full set of 66 planned interventions, which fall under the 10 objectives structuring the Plan. This group, acting under the mandate of the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Salerno and Avellino, and the ‘Monti Lattari’ Mountain Community, had previously identified the key stakeholders and the most urgent issues

These objectives aim to realize the vision identified through research on the territorial system conducted in recent years by the established team, channeling scientific and research expertise from universities, bodies, institutions, and associations into the European University Centre for Cultural Heritage (CUEBC)

The Plan’s vision—to reactivate the process of smart and compatible adaptation of the territory to the needs of the community using it: ‘Towards the ancient Coast’ is the slogan defining this scientific work. The Plan’s mission stems from the observation that the brilliant outcome of ancient adaptation was the result of a pursuit of profit—which, however, relied on a widespread knowledge of the effects of each intervention. This mission is to propose a set of actions capable of recovering the knowledge of these effects and restoring their viability

Naturally, this presentation also aligns with UNESCO’s requirements for the effective management of a cultural landscape: the involvement of all local stakeholders, transparency, focus on the human-territory relationship, guided changes, and social sustainability

The presentation has the added objective of raising awareness about the opportunities offered by EU, national, and regional policies for their practical implementation

Following the welcoming remarks by representatives of the three institutions involved in the project (the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Salerno and Avellino, the ‘Monti Lattari’ Mountain Community, and the European University Centre for Cultural Heritage), the Plan’s scientific directors, Ferruccio Ferrigni (CUEBC) and Giovanni Villani (Superintendence ABAP), illustrated the work, with particular reference to the objectives and the structure defining the territorial governance model. The importance of natural and agricultural factors in shaping the Coast’s Cultural Landscape was addressed in the presentation by Professor Giulia Caneva (Roma Tre University), who highlighted how the bond between agriculture and landscape is extraordinarily effective in certain territories. This was followed by the presentation of the Campania Region’s specific programs by Nadia Murolo (Campania Region) and a debate during which further input to improve the Plan was collected. The closing remarks were delivered by the UNESCO Office of the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism