PARCO ARCHEOLOGICO DELLA VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE E DELLE AREE ARCHEOLOGICHE DI PIAZZA ARMERINA E DEI COMUNI LIMITROFI

Transcription

1 PARCO ARCHEOLOGICO DELLA VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE E DELLE AREE ARCHEOLOGICHE DI PIAZZA ARMERINA E DEI COMUNI LIMITROFI Management Plan Abstract Regione Siciliana Assessorato Dipartimento

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3 ILLA OMANA EL ASALE O ARCHEOLOGICO DELLA VILLA ROMANA ASALE E DELLE AREE ARCHEOLOGICHE ZZA ARMERINA E DEI COMUNI LIMITROFI Regione Siciliana Assessorato Dipartimento Sito Ufficiale del Parco Archeologico della Villa Romana del Casale di Piazza Armerina Assessorato Regionale Assessorato Dipartimento logico della za Armerina Culturali VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE PARCO ARCHEOLOGICO DELLA VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE E DELLE AREE ARCHEOLOGICHE DI PIAZZA ARMERINA E DEI COMUNI LIMITROFI Sito Ufficiale del Parco Archeologico della Villa Romana del Casale di Piazza Armerina Assessorato Regionale Management Plan Abstract

4 Management Plan Coordinator Guido Meli UNESCO contact at Park - Administrative Affairs Salvatore Patrizio Roccaforte UNESCO contact at Park - Technical, Iconographic and Cartographic Affairs Domenico Massimiliano Calabrò Project Manager Giovanni Campeol Professor of Strategic Environmental Assessment, at the School of Territorial Planning, Iuav University of Venice Working group Margherita Rossi Expert in urban and territorial planning Giulia Sommacal Expert in environmental analysis and assessment Printing and typesetting Tipolitografia Paruzzo Caltanissetta, C.da Calderaro - z.i. Tel Fax commerciale@paruzzo.it Editing Fatima Consiglio Our thanks go to Michela Scibilia for the cooperation provided in developing the graphic design Translated by Quid di Piraino Maria Rosa, Via Abruzzi 31 - Palermo (Joe Calio) Finished printing August 2012 Printed by courtesy of the Sicily Region - Regional Dept. of Sicilian Cultural Heritage and Identity Archaeological Park of Villa Romana del Casale and archaeological areas of Piazza Armerina and neighboring municipalities All rights reserved Allegato nota prot del Parco archeologico della Villa romana del Casale e delle aree archeologiche di Piazza Armerina e dei comuni limitrofi Villa romana del Casale : management plan : abstract. - Palermo : Regione siciliana, Assessorato dei beni culturali e dell identità siciliana, Dipartimento dei beni culturali e dell identità siciliana, ISBN Villa romana del Casale <Piazza Armerina> Tutela CDD-22 SBN Pal CIP - Biblioteca centrale della Regione siciliana Alberto Bombace 2012 Regione siciliana - Assessorato e Ambientali e della Identità siciliana Dipartimento e Ambientali e della Identità siciliana Parco Archeologico della Villa Romana del Casale e delle aree archeologiche di Piazza Armerina e dei Comuni limitrofi The drafting and publication of the Management Plan of Villa Romana del Casale was financed with funds provided for under Law No. 77 of 20 February MiBAC Decree of 23 December 2009

5 Table of contents 1 Introdution 5 Premise 7 2 Management plan Identification of the universal meaning Comments on the case studie 13 3 General framework of reference of the plan The reasons that have led to the inclusion of the property in the world heritage list The identity of the site Update of the state property of the villa romana del casale Identification of territorial areas Identification of the various stakeholders Cultural, social, economic and territorial analysis Itineraries 18 4 The legal, planning and project design system Legislative and planning framework Planning, territorial and land use framework Project reference framework 22 5 Definition of objectives and strategies Swot analysis Guidelines for the management plan Definition of the vision of local and cultural development and strategic axes Functional networks 34 6 Monitoring of the management plan and strategic environmental assessment (sea) 35 7 Closing remarks 39

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7 Introduction 1 The Management Plan of UNESCO sites is an essential tool for the management, protection and enhancement of the heritage. The Management Plan allows for the strategic planning of actions and activities to be implemented to ensure that the site, recognized as a World Heritage Site, can be guaranteed its preservation as evidence of the history of civilization and become a meeting place and a venue for the exchange of knowledge, in the vast network of sites worldwide. Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina, declared a World Heritage Site in 1997, has been able to obtain this useful tool that will surely promote development by becoming a pole of cultural attraction and a laboratory for actions, aimed at having a fall-out effect on the local territory. The actions that will be fostered to promote the Villa can and must interact with the local territory, of which the Villa is certainly a characteristic element, reflecting the cultural values of a rich and widespread stratigraphic history. To do this, it is necessary to pursue key objectives: promoting and consolidating the knowledge of the Site, through the most appropriate and innovative communication tools, developing the relationship with younger generations in school age so that the site can become a laboratory of history, fitting the Villa within the local territory in a network of cultural relations that can help understand the historical, artistic and landscape context in which the site is located. The achievement of the development and conservation objectives can be obtained through a planned series of actions linked to one another, making it possible to maintain the site at the symbolic level of World Heritage, ensuring first of all dignity and decorum and implementing all the necessary actions to meet the need to protect the Property. In this framework, Villa del Casale must express and transmit its distinctive features, for which it was included in the World Heritage List, namely the fascinating and vast mosaics that embellish its premises. The Villa is the crossroads and melting pot of the classical culture of the Roman West, expressed in the architecture, and the cultural expression of the North African craftsmen who created the mosaic decorations. It is a meeting place of cultures, but also a place of expression that bears witness to the social and economic relations of the ancient world in the Mediterranean. This is the specific genius loci that the Villa expressed and this is the profound meaning, which must be tangible in all the actions that are set in motion for its development. A place of hospitality and cultural exchange, as it was in the past, now comes back to life and bear witness to this vocation. Guido Meli Villa Romana del Casale Piano di gestione 5

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9 Premise 1 In April 2006 the then Director of the Villa Romana del Casale Regional Archaeological Museum in Piazza Armerina (EN) gave me the assignment for the UNESCO Sites Management Plan - regulations of the assignment for drafting DDG Plan 9380 cap es. fin 2005 of the Sicily Region. In October 2006 I submitted the report called The areas of influence of Villa del Casale from a socio-economic, cultural and planning perspective: Proposal of a Management Plan for the UNESCO site. It was a document that dealt mainly with the analytical part of the Site Management Plan and that required advances and some insights for the complete definition of the plan. Said document ended with methodological considerations on the proposed Management Plan. Later, in 2011, the Decree of December 23, 2009 of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities set forth a financial measure in accordance with Italian Law No. 77 of February 20, 2006, Special measures of protection and fruition of the Italian sites of cultural, scenic and environmental interest included in the World Heritage List under the protection of UNESCO. The Archaeological Park of Villa Romana del Casale and archaeological areas of Piazza Armerina and neighboring municipalities called me to prepare the Final Management Plan of Villa Romana del Casale. Italy has a cultural, monumental and landscape heritage that is among the richest and most important in the world, but until now the general approach has been aimed primarily at economic exploitation, dealing only marginally or in emergency situations with aspects pertaining to conservation and protection, while often ignoring the social and cultural aspects that are associated with this category of assets. The recognition by UNESCO opens new opportunities in this regard, since inclusion in the list fosters a sense of civic and cultural awareness of the member countries and communities involved, which must guarantee fruition of a given site or monument at certain conditions. This results in advantages and disadvantages: it has been proven that inclusion in the list accounts for a twenty to thirty percent increase in tourist flows but, in light of the great visibility that is gained at the international level, the heritage site requires the utmost attention, care and maintenance. In addition, it raises the need to place great attention on the context in which the properties on the list are located. In this regard, UNESCO requires that a Management Plan be drawn up for each listed site, but does not provide a reference model. The ample discretion granted in the management of UNESCO heritage sites is an advantage because the variety and wealth of sites on the World Heritage List (WHL) and the cultures involved would not fit well into a rigidly defined scheme. However, in contrast to the positive aspects, there are the probable uncertainties associated with the varying effectiveness that the Management Plan can have in different contexts based on the features that it is given. In this respect, a first and most immediate distinction on the potential applications of the instrument can be made between passive protection policies through plans based on constraints and without any provision of strategic enhancement projects and active management policies, which not only protect the asset, but also provide a structure for strategic enhancement projects. The latter is the path chosen by the Ministerial Commission for UNESCO sites in Italy. The methodological proposal of the Management Plan for Villa Romana del Casale falls within the scope of the latter approach. It aims at integrating site protection and conservation with a significant cultural, social and economic enhancement phase. The proposed model is the result of a comparative analysis of the various procedures used in several case studies in which management plans were drawn up. The following table offers classification. Without Financial Plan With Financial Plan No Financial Plan and no timetable No Financial Plan with timetable With Financial Plan and Timetable With Financial Plan, Timetable and SEA Master Plan Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto Master Plan with regulations Historic Centre of Florence, UNESCO World Heritage As highlighted in the table above, the proposed Management Plan methodology not only comprises all the elements deemed essential to ensure real and comprehensive management of the site, but also introduces the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as a tool for monitoring the Plan s effectiveness. The SEA is a fundamental step for a plan that aims to integrate environmental aspects with economic and social considerations that characterize the life of the people who reside in the territories of UNESCO sites and who are affected by a new potential development tool. The structure of the Management Plan as defined, thanks to its systematic and flexible nature, should have the necessary means to address problems that may arise in the drafting and implementation process as well as to make the public decision-making system capable of adapting to changing social needs, economic resources and political opportunities. This rationale involves two types of choices envisaged in the proposal phase of the Management Plan, namely: the general objectives that should be considered valid in relation to long periods (for example, the options for enhanc- Master Plan with regulations and maps "The city of Verona" Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE in Piazza Armerina Villa Romana del Casale Piano di gestione 7

10 DEL CASALE E DELLE AREE ARCHEOLOGICHE DI PIAZZA ARMERINA E DEI COMUNI LIMITROFI ing the level of knowledge of the site and local territory, conservation of natural and historical features, the strategic choice of focusing on tourism development), and the actions, which, though directly related to the overall objectives, must be defined in relation to needs and opportunities that may vary considerably over time. By defining a framework, it is possible to work on the single actions with more streamlined procedures. This feature becomes all the more important when refocusing choices based on evaluation and monitoring activities. The route taken makes it possible to do the groundwork necessary to reverse the negative trends that are currently affecting Villa del Casale and the local area. All in all, it will be possible to address the state of disorder caused so far by the use of sporadic and random instruments, which have brought about a situation in which the various measures developed have often led to nothing, either because of a lack of coordination between the various entities or because of the general lack of a systematic approach in the actions. An effective form of organization and management will make it possible to immediately overcome the stalemate affecting the projects for the site, which will most likely lead to the loss of the funds allocated by the Sicily Regional Operational Programme , which are a unique opportunity (if these were not granted again in the new ROP ), to reverse the deterioration process affecting the site and allowing it, along with the surrounding area, to achieve levels of quality up to the standards of a property belonging to the World Heritage List. Secondly, there is an opportunity to define the proposal for an economic development model by which it is possible to assess the costs, also in social terms, as well as feasibility with regard to investments, both private and public, that can be raised in the various economic sectors involved. The issue of the resources needed to set in motion the various initiatives related to the implementation of the Management Plan (monitoring, research, training at various levels, to promote tourism with the related needs, also of an infrastructural nature: visitor centers and information points, picnic areas, etc.), plays a major role to avoid that the Management Plan becomes a statement of intent, an exercise in style entirely disconnected from any economic logic. It cannot and must not be neglected by authorities that are called upon to invest substantial public resources in the various initiatives proposed. Alongside the foregoing, there are the environmental issues, now recognized worldwide as fundamental aspects when planning, and, more specifically, the estimation of the effects of the Plan s actions on the environment (e.g., by defining the load capacity of the sites), and the monitoring of these over time in order to operate an ongoing control by which it is possible to understand the dynamics and processes set in motion and eliminate upstream any possibility of creating situations of deterioration or overload. The form of Management Plan drawn up for Villa del Casale seems to be sufficiently articulated to continuously and systematically run the UNESCO site, while ensuring the pursuit of economic, social and environmental sustainability, which is the final result of a common and joint effort of a plurality of local players, including those who are not directly involved. The concerns on the actual governance capacity of a Management Plan are due mainly to the complexity of territorial planning and urban design processes in Regione Siciliana VILLA Italy, which are the only instruments that Assessorato can translate the content of the Management Plan into actual Dipartimento ROMANA DEL operation. CASALE PARCO ARCHEOLOGICO DELLA VILLA 8 ROMANA Sito Ufficiale del Parco Archeologico della Villa Romana del Casale di Piazza Armerina Assessorato Regionale In order to prevent that a management plan remains broadly on paper, it is necessary that local authorities, coordinated by the Park Authority: - sign a framework agreement in which the players, each in their own field of competence, undertake to complete a certain number of activities; - prepare a shared financial plan; - define a timetable of the activities broken down by functional networks. In December 2010 the Director of the Archaeological Park of Villa Romana del Casale and the archaeological sites in Piazza Armerina and surrounding municipalities, Mr. Guido Meli, commissioned me to complete the previous document, through an agreement signed on December 27, 2010, which listed the points characterizing the assignment to draw up the Management Plan of Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina (EN). Step 1: General definition of the methodology for drawing up the Management Plan. a) Definition of the methodological process for drawing up the management plan that has a significant practical impact. b) Analysis of other Management Plans drawn up between 2006 and 2011 that introduce new elements related to the specific nature of the UNESCO site. Step 2: General framework and context analysis (updated to the present situation). a) Analysis of the current state b) Collection of environmental data concerning the area c) Update of the regulatory framework to 2011 d) Update of the territorial and urban planning framework to 2011 (zoning general plan, Landscape Territorial Plan of the Sicily Region, etc.) e) Updating the framework design to the current situation (PIT 11, the restoration project in progress, scheduled maintenance service, etc...) f) Update of initiatives underway or being planned (e.g., twinning project with the Omero Tactile Museum in Ancona) g) Definition of how the new form of Archaeological Park impacts the Management Plan of the Villa Romana del Casale UNESCO site h) Update with subsequent redefinition of the state property of Villa del Casale in light of recent acquisitions of new neighboring areas i) Collection of material related to studies or analyses carried out between 2006 and 2011 on Villa Romana del Casale j) Mapping of stakeholders and relevant concertation tables k) Preparation of Tables of Knowledge where the experts from various institutions will provide useful guidance in drawing up the Management Plan l) Organization of meetings with other managers of Italian UNESCO sites (Mr. Giovanni Campeol, UNESCO Dolomites Foundation; Mr. P. Pypaert, UNESCO Venice director) m) Definition and location of works and services of specific interest for the UNESCO site as well as those relating to communications and services networks. Villa Romana del Casale Piano di gestione

11 Step 3: Definition of objectives and strategies. Development of Action Plans (Knowledge Plan, Protection and Conservation Plan, Enhancement Plan, Communication Plan and Budget Plan). a) Identification of areas and fields where actions are to be made b) Redefining of Management Plan lines (for the Knowledge, Protection and Conservation and Enhancement Plans already present in the document previously issued for the Management Plan), based on changes in the area c) Preparation of guidelines for the Communication Plan and Budget Plan (not present in the document previously issued) d) Definition of a series of indications for the implementation of an information system e) Organization of further concertation tables for defining the role of stakeholders in the area s management f) Identification of the bodies responsible for Site Management and establishment of the relevant group on Functional Networks (the group will make it possible to find the financial resources for each subject by defining the action procedure according to the criteria of protection, conservation, enhancement and communication) g) Identification of funding sources of preference to enter into agreements and framework agreements that define the economic and cultural mission h) Preparation and integration with existing urban planning instruments of a specific regulatory system for the Management Plan pursuant to and in accordance with the principles defined by UNES- CO and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities for said instrument i) Identification and regulation of the production activities and proposal of a specific regulation with regard to town centers, buffer zones and agricultural areas j) Proposal of an operational regulation resulting from regional laws in other sectors, with particular reference to cultural and environmental heritage, urban traffic and parking plans, production and commercial activities, mobility of all types, and pollution plans Step 4: Evaluation and monitoring. a) Definition of the SEA model as a tool for assessing the environmental and (monitoring) consistency of the Management Plan. These activities, though not following the sequence of steps described above, are all present within the Management Plan. Of course, the development of a Management Plan is not the final stage of a process but the starting one, because this instrument starts to produce the desired effects only if it is properly implemented in time. In particular, the application of an appropriate Strategic Environmental Assessment makes it possible, if necessary, to refocus the plan, by eliminating, for example, any activities that may have become superfluous in the meantime while adding others that prove to be strategic. The Management Plan, as an instrument, has a predominantly programmatic nature from a regulatory standpoint, namely it does not produce legal provisions for the management of the area but organizes, more in general, a governance between public and private entities to manage the UNESCO site. In fact, guidelines, recommendations and suggestions are provided to all territorial governing bodies to achieve the objectives of conservation, enhancement and use of the site. Therefore, as mentioned above, those actions that can allow effective management of the site should be included in urban planning instruments, which produce binding rules at a broad local level. Finally, in order to fully develop its potential, the Management Plan should be managed with a professional approach, in which the objectives must be adequately covered financially, particularly by private investors. This is not easy, but it is absolutely essential. In drawing up this Management Plan, I would like to thank all those who have contributed, directly and indirectly, for their cooperation. In particular: - Guido Meli, Director of the Archaeological Park of Villa Romana del Casale and the archaeological sites in Piazza Armerina and surrounding municipalities ; - S. Patrizio Roccaforte, contact for the technical aspects of the Palazzo Trigona Museum, archaeological areas of the Park, Management Plan; - Domenico Calabrò, contact for GIS mapping, documentary, photographic and iconographic historical archive; - Roberto Garufi, Head of Scheduled Maintenance Plan and of educational dissemination; - Michele Napoli, urban planner who helped draft the first report on Management Plan of UNES- CO Sites ; - Angela Ferroni, Head of the UNESCO List Office at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage - Francesco Santalucia, former Director of the Museum of Villa Romana del Casale - Giada Cantamessa, Head of the Educational Dissemination Plan at Villa Romana del Casale - Giuseppe Vitale, head of the PTP office, Province of Enna; - Fausto Nigrelli, Mayor of Piazza Armerina. My thanks also go to the staff at the Archaeological Park of Villa Romana del Casale and the archaeological sites in Piazza Armerina and surrounding municipalities. 1 Villa Romana del Casale Piano di gestione 9

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13 Management Plan 2 NUOVA FASE DI ELABORAZIONE DEL PIANO Defining the concept of Management Plan is a complex task because it implies correctly identifying targets/guidelines for knowledge, conservation and enhancement that then result in actions that can trigger processes of economic, cultural and social development in the area of interest. It is therefore of primary importance to define a strategy for management and development involving all stakeholders, all resources and all facilities in the area. In this context, the Management Plan could be defined as a method to plan and schedule integrated and iterative activities and actions, in which policy makers, social, cultural and economic stakeholders, experts who design and oversee the implementation of measures and public and private operators are called upon to intervene in the various phases. It is a circular process that covers the stages of cognition (analysis), definition of objectives and strategies (design), implementation (actions) and evaluation (monitoring, which is, once again, analysis), to return again to a subsequent redefinition of the objectives. For the reasons discussed above, the methodology pathway adopted for the implementation of the Management Plan of Villa Romana del Casale was divided into five phases summarized in the diagram below. FASE 1A Analisi conoscitiva del patrimonio FASE 2 DEFINIZIONE DEGLI OBIETTIVI E DELLE STRATEGIE Le forze del cambiamento FASE 3 COSTRUZIONE DEL PIANO Scenari FASE 4 ATTUAZIONE DEGLI INTERVENTI Progetti strategici FASE 5 MONITORAGGIO Indicatori di risultati FASE 1B Analisi territoriale e socio-economico of knowledge of the resources for their effective management and, to this end, establish and implement a system for managing data and information of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that allows easy archiving, consultation and update through a flexible database that can be constantly updated and modified. Protection and Conservation Axis: the overall objective of the Axis is to protect and preserve heritage resources of the area of reference, in order to protect them against deterioration and ensure use for present and future generations. Cultural, Social and Economic Enhancement Axis: The overall objective of the Axis is to create a process of cultural and economic growth that is stable and sustainable over time compared to the primary need of the UNESCO site for protection and preservation for future generations. The strategy for achieving this goal is to build a network of highly integrated and specialized activities, using those factors of appeal for which the area can boast competitive advantages over competitors and promoting those initiatives that rather serve to address any identified weaknesses. Communication Axis: The overall objective is to promote the UNESCO Site internally and externally and, in particular, the defined measures of economic and cultural development that require the support of communication. The overall strategy is based on two main aspects: promotion internally through the recovery of social identity and awareness among stakeholders and local populations; promotion externally through the communication of the UNESCO Site system and the defined enhancement measures. As it can be seen, this strategic approach is of great breadth, in the implementation of the four axes, and requires a strong ability to manage the property s governance so as to overcome any atomistic and localist forces in local administrations that always occur and can lead to a deadlock in the management activity or to its drastic downsizing 2. The methodological pathway 1 The core of the Plan is developed in the third stage; it is precisely at this point that, after performing the analyses and having identified the objectives and strategies to be undertaken, future scenarios towards which local development is to be aimed are prefigured. To this end there are four sectoral axes and targets and concrete actions through which to reach these goals. Said axes are: Knowledge and Research Axis: the general objective of this axis is to achieve an appropriate level 2.1 Identification of the Universal Meaning The preliminary step of any management plan of a UNESCO site is the precise recognition of universal values (statements of significance), which makes the site unique and of extraordinary value worldwide. An area is the result of centuries of actions by man and nature and therefore bears the signs of the overlapping layers of time. The first step to understanding the true value of a site is that of recognizing the values that identify the area as a carrier of meaning. 1 Extract from SYRACUSE AND THE ROCKY NE- CROPOLIS OF PANTALICA, Management Plan. 2 This phenomenon has clearly come to the fore in the management of the UNESCO Dolomites Site. Villa Romana del Casale Piano di gestione 11

14 To this end, the first task to be performed is to deepen and clarify the values and specific characteristics for which the site was included in the World Heritage List. These must always be borne in mind to preserve, protect and enhance the characteristics and features that are specific to that property and not to others of the same territorial or cultural context. In selecting the sites included in the WHL, UNESCO had to summarize the huge body of possible combinations of natural and cultural values present in the world in just ten items. That s why it is absolutely necessary to prepare and implement a management tool in the course of time that is capable of illustrating in detail the criteria by which a property is identified. Below is a table that summarizes all the criteria by which properties are included in the WHL. Those by which the Villa Romana del Casale Site was included in the List of World Heritage Sites are highlighted in bold letters. CRITERI UNESCO Criteri Cultural heritage i i to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius ii iii ii iii to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared iv v vi iv v vi to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria) Natural Heritage iii i ii iv vii viii ix x to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic feature to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including thosecontaining threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE PARCO ARCHEOLOGICO DELLA VILLA 12ROMANA DEL CASALE E DELLE AREE ARCHEOLOGICHE DI PIAZZA ARMERINA E DEI COMUNI LIMITROFI Sito Ufficiale del Parco Archeologico della Villa Romana del Casale di Piazza Armerina Assessorato Regionale Regione Siciliana Assessorato Dipartimento Villa Romana del Casale Piano di gestione

15 2.2 Comments on the case studies An important step for the elaboration of a Management Plan is the comparison with other similar situations. Therefore, the structure of other UNESCO sites has been analyzed in order to identify both the positive aspects of other experiences, contextually similar to that of this Plan Management, and the weak spots in order to overcome them by adopting alternative strategies. The Management Plans analyzed are: Management Plan Archaeological and Landscape Park of the Valley of the Temples ; Management Plan of the Etruscan Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia Site; Management Plan of the Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica Site; Management Plan of the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto. Based on the analysis of these plans, the following table was subsequently drawn up. The table clearly shows those instruments that have features, in terms of structure and content, that best meet the requirements of the Management Plan as an instrument. In order to be able to pursue goals of efficiency and effectiveness typical of the Plan, it is advisable, if not essential, that the Plan comprise both a timetable that identifies the action priorities and a financial plan that clearly indicates the funding sources and the amounts that are to be funded or have been already funded, for the implementation of the actions. It was possible, through this reasoned collection of Management Plans, to obtain useful information to improve the structure of this document. 2 Strategic programme with general guidelines Plan with regulations and maps With Financial Plan and without timetable No Financial Plan and no timetable No Financial Plan with timetable With Financial Plan and Timetable LATE BAROQUE TOWNS OF THE VAL DI NOTOUNESCO Management Plan ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND LANDSCAPE PARK OF THE VALLEY OF TEMPLES UNESCO Management Plan ETRUSCAN NECROPOLISES OF CERVETERI AND TARQUINIA UNESCO Management Plan SYRACUSE AND ROCKY NECROPOLIS OF PANTALICA UNESCO Management Plan Villa Romana del Casale Piano di gestione 13

16 VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE PARCO ARCHEOLOGICO DELLA VILLA 14ROMANA DEL CASALE E DELLE AREE ARCHEOLOGICHE DI PIAZZA ARMERINA E DEI COMUNI LIMITROFI Sito Ufficiale del Parco Archeologico della Villa Romana del Casale di Piazza Armerina Assessorato Regionale Regione Siciliana Assessorato Dipartimento Villa Romana del Casale Piano di gestione

17 General framework of reference of the plan The reasons that have led to the inclusion of the Property in the WORLD HERITAGELIST In 1996, ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments and Sites) accepted the nomination of Villa Romana del Casale as a World Heritage Site. The following year, during the 21st session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Naples from December 1-6, 1997, the Committee decided to inscribe the Property in the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (i), (ii) and (iii), considering that the Villa del Casale at Piazza Armerina is the supreme example of a luxury Roman villa, which graphically illustrates the predominant social and economic structure of its age. The mosaics that decorate it are exceptional for their artistic quality and invention as well as their extent.. Furthermore, the Roman Villa del Casale is unique. Other structures that mirror so completely not only an antique life-style but also a complex economic system that constitute a moment of union between different cultures of the Mediterranean basin (the North African and the Roman) simply do not exist elsewhere. 3.2 The identity of the Site The history of the town of Piazza Armerina started in the Norman period, but its territory was inhabited since prehistoric times, as proven by the archaeological findings on Mount Navone and Montagna di Marzo, which date the foundation of the town to the 5th century BCE by a settlement of Plataeans, citizens of Plataea, a town of Boeotia, at the time of the Peloponnesian War. It also seems that the first town was founded by the Greeks from Gela. The town was probably flourishing in Roman times, as confirmed by the presence of the Villa Romana del Casale. Over the centuries it has experienced many vicissitudes, (including the presence of Goths, Vandals, Byzantines and Arabs), but it often played political roles of great prestige and its cultural and economic life was always very lively to the point that Emperor Charles V called it most opulent town. In the 9th century the Arabs occupied Sicily and all of the villages in the Erean Mountains were conquered. Thanks to the Arab geographer Ibn Idris, called Idrisi, we know the Arabic name by which Piazza, located in the area of Contrada Casale, went: Iblàtasah or Iblàtanah. These were Arabic place names derived from the faithful transcription of the Greek names of Ibla Elatson or Elatton Ibla. Following the abandonment of the site, Villa Romana del Casale was cut out for many centuries from the development of the Piazza territory until its discovery. Some parts of the Villa were used as the support for agricultural buildings already in the early decades of the 19th century, when the first attempts at archaeological excavations by individuals were reported in order to recover antiquities. The Villa was explored in following stages from the early years of the 19th century until it was completely excavated and restored in the 1960s. During the recent renovations other remains have been found dating back to periods following those of the Villa. To date, excavations are still continuing to unearth the ruins of the ancient medieval village that was discovered. It consists of some twenty rooms, dating from three building phases, spanning from the 10th to the 12th century. The Villa was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in Innumerable administrative events followed since then. In 1999 it became a Regional Museum; in 2009, with the entry into force of the new regional law on the administrative reorganization of regional departments and the organization of the relevant intermediate bodies, the Regional Department of Cultural and Environmental Heritage and Education took on new responsibilities and a new name becoming the Regional Department of Culture Heritage and Sicilian Identity. It set up by special decree the Archaeological Park of the Villa Romana del Casale and archeological areas in Piazza Armerina and neighboring municipalities Office and modified both the organizational structure of the Department and the organization of the Villa Romana Archaeological Park Service. 3.3 Update of the State property of the Villa Romana del Casale The area of archaeological interest, Villa Romana del Casale and part of the territory in which it is located, are divided into parcels already partially expropriated and partly in the course of expropriation. As can be seen from the map in the following page, the entire area is divided into parcels belonging to: State Property of the Municipality of Piazza Armerina, State Property of the Education Ministry, State Property of the Province of Enna; Regional State Property. In order to define the regulation and the areas belonging to Villa Romana del Casale, following a meeting held on February 22, 2011 in Piazza Armerina, it was agreed that some of the parcels falling in the Villa s area of competence, but owned by the Municipality, were sold to the Villa Romana Park Service, which, in turn, gave the Municipality a section of the road - SP 90 - up to the intersection with road SP 15, so as to constitute the State Property of the Villa. In addition, the buildings built within the framework of the PIT on the respective parcels will belong to the respective authorities owning the land. 3 3 For more information, please refer to Chapter 3, par. 3.6, of the Management Plan of the Villa Romana del Casale. Villa Romana del Casale Piano di gestione 15

18 DEL CASALE E DELLE AREE ARCHEOLOGICHE DI PIAZZA ARMERINA E DEI COMUNI LIMITROFI Maps of the State Property of the Villa Romana del Casale 3.4 Identification of territorial areas Villa Romana del Casale is a property fit into a broader territorial context in which the historical factors that have produced countless items distributed throughout the entire territory are inextricably intertwined with the peculiar characteristics of the places, thereby shaping the situation as it is today. The objective of this Management Plan is to underscore the role played by the Site in connecting the territorial values in order to promote an enhancement of the property and its territory that can lead to the development of new extended webs of relations and meanings. Therefore, it was deemed appropriate to interpret the territory at two levels, one pertaining to the confined territorial area, namely the area which falls within the property included in the World Heritage List and its buffer zone, and the extended territorial area, namely the area within which the effects produced by the actions implemented by the Plan produce economic, social and cultural effects. Regione Siciliana VILLA Assessorato Dipartimento ROMANA In this regard, the identification of the criteria was fundamental for the identification of those municipalities DEL CASALE PARCO ARCHEOLOGICO DELLA VILLA 16ROMANA Sito Ufficiale del Parco Archeologico della Villa Romana del Casale di Piazza Armerina Assessorato Regionale which are homogeneous both in historical and cultural terms and in geographical and administrative terms. Said criteria are: 1. historical criterion - Gela River 4, linked to the genesis and development of the area adjacent to the Gela River that served for centuries as the highway of civilization. The municipalities determined according to this criterion are: Mazzarino, Butera, Gela and Niscemi. 2. historical - geographical/administrative criterion, related to the presence of municipalities where there are cultural values that directly link them together not only from a mainly historical and archaeological point of view, but also for the nature and whose geographical and administrative contiguity facilitates the implementation of enhancement measures. The municipalities identified are Piazza Armerina, Barrafranca, Pietraperzia, Enna, Aidone, Villarosa, Calascibetta, Valguarnera Caropepe, Agira and Centuripe. In particular, the first four municipalities mentioned, together with the Municipality of Mazzarino, fall in the bounds of the proposed Archaeological Park of the Villa Romana del Casale and hence share areas of significant archaeological interest. In the municipalities that have been identified within this extended area, there are both assets of a nature similar to the archaeological site of the Villa Romana del Casale and assets with different characteristics yet capable of generating synergies with the latter. A number of archaeological, architectural, historical, artistic, natural and intangible assets were hence identified. In this regard, the Management Plan is perfectly consistent with the guidelines provided by UNESCO, which, in applying the Convention, increasingly discourages the adoption of criteria for the inclusion in the list of a single work or monument, while having a preference for categories such as cultural landscapes, multiple sites, itineraries as well as the intangible heritage. A brief historical and geographical description and the identification of all the assets falling within the municipal territory were carried out for each municipality. Said assets were then included in a table, in order to have an overview summarizing all characteristics deemed relevant. 5 It should be specified that the extended territory is not defined a priori. Its boundaries can be further modified and/or implemented. At the same time, the choice of the Municipalities is not predetermined but can vary or be implemented in time. 4 The history of the Villa Romana del Casale is strongly linked to the importance of the Gela River over the centuries. It is called highway of civilization, as a means by which the many conquerors shaped the land. Therefore, it was deemed appropriate, following a review of the historical analyses carried out, to consider the Gela River and the surrounding area as an element that unites and characterizes this part of south-central Sicily. More information on the reasons that led to the determination of this criterion can be found in Chapter 3, par. 3.7, of the Plan. 5 For details about the single municipalities and their description, please refer to Chapter 3, par Villa Romana del Casale Piano di gestione

19 3.5 Identification of the various stakeholders Fase indispensabile per la corretta ed esaustiva realizzazione di un Piano di Gestione è la mappatura degli stakeholders. L obiettivo di questa fase è individuare tutti quei soggetti che sono coinvolti nella gestione in primo luogo del sito UNESCO e, più in generale, dell ambito territoriale esteso, al fine di elaborare un quadro sintetico dei portatori d interesse che dovranno essere attivati per la realizzazione del Piano di Gestione attraverso appositi tavoli tematici. Di seguito si riporta una tabella nella quale sono stati individuati tutti quei soggetti, suddivisi per categorie, che possono concorrere, direttamente o indirettamente, all implementazione degli obiettivi prefissati. 3.6 Cultural, social, economic and territorial analysis The analysis of the territorial context is an essential cognitive step to identify the positive and negative elements that, on the one hand, contribute to determining the strengths for the development of policies to promote the area, while, on the other, highlight the criticalities that are to be eliminated through the implementation of specific actions. Therefore, a short examination of the social and economic characteristics of the territorial context in which the UNESCO site is located was performed through some concise indicators to represent demographic and employment trends also by economic sectors with a focus on aspects relating to the tourism and cultural sector and to the related activities. 3 Mapping of stakeholders Target group Institutional entities Interest Groups Research and training institutes Citizen groups Joint ventures or companies Stakeholder UNESCO Ministry of Cultural Heritage Sicily Region Provinces of Enna and Caltanissetta Municipalities of the extended territorial area Superintency of Cultural and Environmental Heritage of Enna and Caltanissetta Centro Sicilia Servizi spa (CE.SI.S) Chamber of Commerce of Enna and Caltanissetta Tourism Association - Piazza Armerina, "regional structure" Parks: Archaeological Park of Villa Romana del Casale and archaeological areas of Piazza Armerina and neighboring municipalities FS Parks ARPA Sicily Cultural associations Italia Nostra 17 Archaeological Groups of Italy - "L. Villari" Piazza Armerina Branch A.S.D. Cavalli Turismo Natura MTB Sicily Vispi siciliani. TYRACIA - Vintage cars and motorcycles. FIDAPA UNESCO Club of Enna Archeoclub Lions Club Rotary Club Moysikos Piazza Armerina Parnaso Associations of craftsmen and industrialists (Consortium of the Enna Archeology Biennale, CNA) Commerce associations: Tour operators (local and national), Confcommercio Associations of hoteliers and restaurateurs Environmental associations: PiazzaAmbiente WWF Sicily Associations of farmers Associations of animal farmers Trade unions Museums and Foundations Confturismo Other non-profit associations Schools Universities: Kore University of Enna La Sapienza University of Catania Research institutes Citizens' committee for the protection and enhancement of the Villa Romana del Casale Neighborhood committees: Channels, Casalotto, Castellina, Monte.. Villa Romana del Casale Piano di gestione 17

20 With regard to the environmental component, the Province of Enna consists of a considerable presence of environmental assets distributed throughout the territory. In fact, there is a rich presence of lakes and nature reserves. One negative aspect is the environmental conditions of some water bodies, such as the one in Piazza Armerina, due to the presence of intensive agricultural activities and to the presence of urban centers; another negative factor is the scarce exploitation of some environmental resources. In terms of infrastructures, the Enna territory is crossed by several important regional road networks and is the most important road connection between eastern Sicily, central Sicily and northwestern Sicily. It also has a dense network of urban and interurban roads that facilitate the connection between the territory s various towns. However, one negative factor is the lack of a connection to the railway network, which means that all transportation in the province is carried out on road, resulting in a congestion of motor vehicle traffic. The analysis of the socio-economic component showed that the province of Enna is characterized by a steady decrease in the number of residents, caused by a sharp decline in births, a mortality rate that has been broadly stable and a resumption in migration. 6 From the point of view of employment, to date there still is a high unemployment rate. Agriculture and mining, especially of sulfur, are the traditional pillars of the Province s economy. However, following the closing of major mines, mining is no longer a relevant sector, unlike agriculture, which continues to be a leading sector of the provincial economy. Enna has a production environment characterized by craftsmen and small businesses, while there still is very low employment in industry. As for the tourism sector, the trend currently underway is one characterized by occasional short stays and visits to the best known places while discarding almost entirely the remaining part of the cultural heritage constituting the essential framework. An analysis of statistical data shows that the average stays of foreign visitors are higher, though slightly, compared to those of Italians, thus confirming that tourists coming from far away might tend to stay longer compared to those traveling shorter distances to reach the holiday destination. With regard to accommodation, the data show that the non-hotel sector is growing, while the hotel sector showing signs of stagnation and the average length of stay does not show substantial changes. 7 Overall, the relevance that the tourism and hospitality industry of the province of Enna has compared to the regional level is quite low, failing to reach 1% of total overnight stays. 3.7 Itineraries The results of the analysis of the context led to the creation of an instrument such as the thematic itinerary capable of creating a system encompassing all the tangible assets (archaeological, historical, natural and artistic heritage) and intangible assets (enhancement of local culture through festivals and typical local products), allowing for their reinterpretation for tourism and culture. In fact, it is a matter of directing the planning action towards processes that include culture policy objectives that are linked not only to the safeguard but also to enhancement and promotion through the implementation of specific actions. It involves building models for the systematic and integrated management of the local territory s cultural, tourism and environmental heritage in order to achieve quality of services, costeffective spending and the ability to aggregate demand. In choosing the itineraries, it is necessary to consider Villa Romana del Casale, as a UNESCO property included in the WHL and hence having a strong capacity to attract tourists, as the hub which all the various themes center on. Therefore, there could be thematic itineraries centered on the theme of archeology divided by historical periods such as, for instance, the archeology of the places and history of the villages, historical and industrial archeology, archeology and nature, archeology along the Gela River, etc. In order to achieve this objective, Cesis has prepared a table with the parameters and weights to be used for the evaluation of the various possible itineraries that will be proposed in the various meetings of the two groups belonging to the thematic technical meetings. 8 The thematic itinerary instrument is, therefore, of paramount importance. By pursuing the fulfillment of large segments of tourism demand (excursions, cultural tours, art cities, wine and gastronomy and folklore), the goal is to achieve broader local economic development. VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE PARCO ARCHEOLOGICO DELLA VILLA 18ROMANA DEL CASALE E DELLE AREE ARCHEOLOGICHE DI PIAZZA ARMERINA E DEI COMUNI LIMITROFI 6 These results are obtained from the analysis of statistical Regione Siciliana Assessorato data examined. For further details, see dei Chapter Beni Culturali 3, par. Dipartimento 3.9, of the Plan. 7 Reference Chapter 3, par. 3.9, of the Plan. Sito Ufficiale del Parco Archeologico della Villa Romana del Casale di Piazza Armerina Assessorato Regionale 8 The table can be found in Chapter 3, par. 3.10, of the Plan. Villa Romana del Casale Piano di gestione