Public-Private Partnerships for the Revival and Enhancement of Italy’s Cultural Heritage: Preserving the Past, Building the Future

Abstract

Italy is the country with the highest number of UNESCO sites in the whole world; its cultural heritage is enormously precious in all respects, but it is not adequately enhanced. There is a fertile ground to investigate and work on. This research focuses on the abandoned immovable cultural heritage and how its adaptive reuse represents a powerful resource for the territorial development, community engagement and urban regeneration. In this perspective, the concepts of protection and valorization must be considered as intertwined, no more as parallel lines, emphasizing the dynamicity of cultural heritage. In order to reach this aim, the instrument presented in this research is the public-private partnership. Hence, the purpose of the research is to analyze public-private partnership as a useful tool, with its pros and cons, to support the multiple dimensions of value generated by valorization initiatives in the field of abandoned or underutilized cultural heritage. An attempt is made to propose a systemic nature to these interventions, thus limiting their episodic nature, highlighting all the interests of the parties involved and finding ways to draw synergy from them from an economic, social and cultural point of view. By addressing the organizational and management models best suited to make these regeneration experiences self-sustainable and lasting, the final aim of this research is to raise awareness on the potential that characterizes Italy’s abandoned cultural heritage.