New centrality in UNESCO buffer-zones: two Mediterranean case studies. Per una nuova centralità delle buffer-zones UNESCO: due casi studio nel Mediterraneo

The paper presents an interdisciplinary reflection on the potential for sustainable development of communities and their cultural landscapes expressed by UNESCO Buffer Zones in the Mediterranean, with the intention of transforming their widespread perception as mere tools of protection and urban planning into concrete integrated proposals for protection and enhancement, and also taking into account the role of museums in promoting the understanding of cultural heritage and the maturation of an awareness of the value of such actions. With reference to the 2004 guidelines UNESCO and starting from the evaluation of some management plans, such as that of the Arab-Norman itinerary in Palermo and…