Patrimonio mondiale dell' Umanità
Questa la motivazione (in estrema sintesi) con la quale il
Comitato del Patrimonio Mondiale dell'UNESCO ha iscritto il sito nella World Heritage
List:
''L'iscrizione del sito 'Siracusa e le
necropoli rupestri di Pantalica' si giustifica in quanto la colonia di Siracusa, che
occupò il territorio dove si era precedentemente sviluppata la civiltà preistorica di
Pantalica, divenne il più importante centro della cultura greca del Mediterraneo.
Syracuse and the rocky Necropolis of Pantalica
Tutto il
documento dell' UNESCO :
in inglese
Syracuse
(Italy)
No 1200
1.
BASIC DATA
State
Party: Italy
Name
of property: Syracuse and the rocky Necropolis of
Location:
Region
of Sicily, province of Syracuse
Date
received: 2
February 2004
Category
of property:
In
terms of the categories of cultural property set out in
Article
1 of the 1972 World Heritage Convention, this is a
group
of buildings and a
site. In
the terms of Paragraph 27
of
the Operational
Guidelines for the Implementation of
the
World Heritage Convention, the
property consists
partially
of a group
of urban buildings in
the category of
"towns
which are no longer inhabited but which provide
unchanged
archeological evidence of the past".
Brief
description:
The
property consists of two separate elements, which are
however
territorially complementary:
a) Necropolis
of Pantalica
The
zone contains over 5000 tombs cut into the rock, near
to
open stone quarries ("lautumiae"). Vestiges of the
Byzantine
era also remain, and particularly the foundations
of
the Anaktoron (Prince's Palace).
Most
of the tombs date back to the period from the 13th to
the
7th century B.C.
Area
of the zone: 205.86 ha
Buffer
zone: 3,699.70 ha
b) Ancient
Syracuse
The
historic town area can be divided up as follows:
- the
nucleus of the first foundation in the 8th century B.C.,
with
the arrival of the first Greek colonists from Corinth:
Ortygia.
Today
this is an island (originally it was a peninsula), the
starting
point for the development of the great town of
Syracuse
(Pentapolis) and
a point which enabled the
control
of two natural ports.
It
includes:
- a
13th century fortification: the Castello Maniace;
- a
cathedral, resulting from the transformation from the
7th
century A.D. onwards of the Temple of Athena
(built
in the 5th century B.C.).
- a
set of archeological sites distributed over the urban
area;
- the
archeological remains of Neapolis,
with the Greek
theatre,
the altar of Hieron II of Syracuse, the Roman
amphitheatre
and the stone quarries (“lautumiae”);
- the
region of Scala
Greca,
with recent archeological
discoveries
in a clearly delimited area;
- Euryalus
Fort and
the Fortifications
of Dionysius, a
defence
complex built between 402 and 397 B.C. for
which
the plan was drawn up by Archimedes;
- the
ancient remains of Thapsos, Achradina and Tyche.
Area
of the group of buildings: 635.96 ha
Buffer
zone: 874.45 ha
2.
THE PROPERTY
Description
Situated
on the Mediterranean coast in south-eastern Sicily,
and
having always enjoyed a favourable climate while
being
relatively free of marked relief, the zone of
monuments
and archeological sites proposed for
inscription
on the World Heritage list has been inhabited
since
protohistoric times.
a) Necropolis
of Pantalica
The
necropolis extends over some 1200 m from north to
south
and 500 m from east to west in the region of Sortino.
In
the hilly terrain (caverns and precipices) and a natural
environment
of great beauty, about 5000 tombs are visible,
most
of which have been hewn out of the rock face.
The
tombs are divided into 5 sets:
- the
north-western necropolis, with some 600 tombs in
groups
of 5;
- the
northern necropolis, with some 1500 tombs: this is
the
most vast and spectacular (dated to 1200-1100
B.C.);
- the
southern necropolis, between the two previous
ones,
dating to the same period;
- the
Filipporto necropolis, with around 500 tombs and
the
Cavetta necropolis, with around 300 tombs (the
latter
dates to 9th-8th century B.C.).
Archeological
research has brought to light, in this zone,
vestigial
remains of dwellings from the period of Greek
colonisation.
Materials of Mycenean origin and
monumental
structures were recognised, enabling the
identification
of the Anaktoron, or Prince's Palace.
Similarly,
it has been possible to identify a period of
reoccupation
of the site in the 9th-10th centuries: the zone
was
in fact used for the defence against invasions of Sicily
by
the Arab armies.
130
b) Syracuse
On
the side which has been inhabited from the
protohistoric
neolithic period, and certainly from the start
of
the 13th century (demonstrated by archeological
research
and excavations), Syracuse symbolises by its
foundation
the development of the Greek presence in the
Western
Mediterranean.
This
city, founded in the 8th century (c. 734 B.C.) was,
according
to the Ancients, very large and extremely
beautiful.
The orator and politician Cicero records that it
"was
the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of all.
Its
reputation was by no means usurped, and it enjoyed a
unique
site, between earth and sea…"
Its
central nucleus, today the island of Ortygia, controlled
two
natural ports which had already become famous in
ancient
times. Ortygia consisted of five parts, giving rise to
its
alternative name of Pentapolis. The two ports are still
identifiable
today: Porto Piccolo to the east and Porto
Grande
to the west. Ortygia
covers
an area 1600 m long by
600 m
wide, with a central main street and a network of
other
streets reminiscent of the orthogonal plan of the
ancient
Greek city, constructed in the 7th century B.C.
The
following Greek vestiges remain (from north to south):
- Temple
of Apollo (Apollonion);
- Ionic
Temple;
- Temple
of Athena (Athenaeion);
The Catacombs, the
largest except for those in Rome, date
from
the paleochristian period. Subsequently, many items
bearing
witness to the troubled history of Sicily remain
(from
the Byzantines to the Bourbons, with in between the
Arabo-Muslims,
the Normans, the government of
Frederick
II (Hohenstaufen) (1197-1250), the domination
of
the Aragons and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies):
- The
church of St. John the Baptist (4th-16th
centuries),
- The
church of St. Martin (6th-14th centuries),
-
Abeba Dunieli Palace (15th century),
-
Bellomo Palace (13th-18th centuries),
-
Migliaccio Palace (15th century),
-
Francica-Nova Palace (15th century),
-
Church of San Francesco all’Immacolata (13th-18th
centuries),
-
Church of the Collegio (built by the Jesuits in the 17th
century).
But
the most celebrated monument, with its great square, is
the
Cathedral, which incorporates the remains of a Greek
temple
dating back to the 6th century B.C. The excavations
carried
out in 1996-1998 under the square have brought
advances
in our knowledge of the history of Syracuse and
its
ancient monuments.
Constituted
in 1952-1955, the archeological park of
Neapolis, in
Syracuse, includes the most spectacular (and
some
of the best preserved) Greek and Roman monuments
bearing
testimony to the past of Sicily (area of this zone:
24
ha):
- the
magnificent Greek theatre;
- the
Nymphaeum zone (with the cave);
- the
sanctuary to Apollo;
- the
imposing altar of Hieron II (the king of Syracuse
in
265-215 B.C., the ally of the Romans against
Carthage);
- the
remarkable Roman amphitheatre;
- the
great stone quarries (12 in number, also known as
the
"lautumiae") which extend over a distance of more
than
1.5 km;
- the
Grotticelle necropolis, which contains the socalled
tomb
of Archimedes.
History
Syracuse,
in addition to its own history - one of the most
ancient
in the Western Mediterranean (excavations and
research
have revealed a substantial human presence as
early
as the Neolithic period, and particularly from the 13th
century
B.C., and have confirmed the presence of the first
Greek
colonists – Corinthians who arrived according to
literary
tradition in 734 B.C.) - has experienced most of the
vicissitudes
of the history of Sicily in general.
Historical
summary:
- 9th
century B.C.:
The
Phoenicians colonise the island.
- 8th
century B.C.:
The
Greeks in turn set up settlement colonies on the
eastern
coast of Sicily (particularly at Syracuse) and
establish
trading posts rivalling those of the Phoenicians,
and
then those of Carthage, the Phoenicians' western
metropolis.
-
5th-4th centuries B.C.:
Syracuse,
the island's main city, exercises hegemonic
control
over the whole of Sicily (particularly under
Dionysius
the Elder: 405-367 B.C.).
- 212
B.C.:
Rome
wins the 1st war against Carthage, conquers Sicily
and
makes it into a province, which then becomes a
veritable
granary. Syracuse is occupied after a very long
and
bitter siege (213-212).
-
5th-6th centuries A.D.:
Vandal
domination is followed by the Byzantine conquest
(which
lasted until the 9th century).
-
9th-10th centuries:
The
Arabo-Muslims, after conquering Sicily by defeating
the
Byzantines, turn it into an emirate. It prospers and
Palermo,
its capital, becomes a remarkably brilliant
cultural
and artistic centre.
-
1061-1091:
Norman
domination of the whole island.
-
12th century:
Sicily
becomes the centre of a rich and powerful
monarchy,
with the flowering of a brilliant and composite
civilisation.
-
1197-1250:
The
resplendent period of Frederick II Hohenstaufen.
131
-
1266:
The
Duke of Anjou, Charles I, brother of St Louis, is
crowned
King of Sicily by the Pope.
-
1282-1442:
Sicily
is in the control of Aragon.
-
1442-1458:
The
kingdoms of Naples and Sicily are united, forming the
Kingdom
of the Two Sicilies.
Management
regime
Legal
provision:
Most
of the monuments and sites proposed for inscription
are
public property. They belong to:
- the
Italian state (Ministry of the Interior),
- the
region of Sicily,
- the
province of Syracuse,
- or
the Municipality of Syracuse.
Thus:
The
monuments of Ortygia
and
the archeological park of
Neapolis
are
state property.
The
offices of the University of Catania, as a historic
monument
of Syracuse, the University's property but
intended
for public access.
The
religious buildings (the Cathedral, a historic
monument,
and the catacombs) are the property of the
archiepiscopal
parish of Syracuse.
Some
civil historic buildings belong to private individuals
or
companies. However they are subject to public
interest
obligations.
Management
structure:
- At
national level:
The
Ministry of Cultural and Environmental Properties, in
accordance
with Italian Legislative Decree no. 490 of 29
October
1997 on the preservation of the artistic and
historic
heritage.
- At
regional level:
The
Superintendency for Architecture and the
Environment,
in accordance with the provisions of
Regional
Law 15/91 of 1998.
- At
local level:
The
municipal technical office of Syracuse.
Through
a process of decentralisation, the Ministry of
Cultural
and Environmental Properties is represented in
Syracuse
by a Superintendency.
Resources:
Funds,
subsidies and grants are available at several levels
for
the historic monuments and the heritage in general:
-
Italian State:
Ordinary
management and maintenance funds;
Special
funds for projects or emergency funds (in the event
of
natural disasters, for example);
Grants
for heritage preservation from the Italian national
lottery.
-
Region of Sicily:
Ordinary
funds and special funds for the maintenance and
restoration
of the historic, artistic and monumental
heritage;
Ordinary
funds for the management of the historic, artistic
and
monumental heritage.
-
Province of Syracuse:
Grants
for heritage management, including grants from
private
individuals;
Grants
for special heritage projects.
There
is another source of financing in addition to the
above,
which is large in amount and important in its
regularity:
the contribution under a programme of the
European
Commission, in connection with Agenda 2000
(Regional
Operative Programme of Sicily, 2000-2006).
Justification
by the State Party (summary)
By
replacing the previous prehistoric culture which was
centred
in Pantalica, the Greek civilisation culture that took
over
and developed in Syracuse represented the most
important
centre of the Mediterranean for a significant
period
of the history of mankind. It predominated over the
rivals
Carthage and Athens and rose to be the heart of
thought,
art and culture.
History
has also left extraordinary signs of its passage in
the
town-planning and architectural superimpositions of
the
subsequent ages which were developed on the
palimpsest
of the Greek city and preserved extraordinary
traces
of the persistence and integration of the various
cultures
of the most significant eras of the western world.
This
cultural stratification makes Syracuse a unique
property.
3.
ICOMOS EVALUATION
Actions
by ICOMOS
An
ICOMOS expert mission went to visit Syracuse and
Pantalica
in September 2004.
ICOMOS
has also consulted its International Scientific
Committee
on Historic Towns and Villages (CIVVIH).
ICOMOS
suggested to the State Party that the buffer zone
next
to Syracuse-Ortygia and to the north of the set of
building
in should be extended to include the coast, with a
view
to strengthening the protection of the zone proposed
for
inscription. The State Party has agreed to this
extension.
132
Conservation
Conservation
history:
Despite
the diversity of the properties (monuments in a
modern
town, archeological zones, excavation areas) and
their
scattered location over the area (at one end the
Municipality
of Syracuse, and at the other, 40 km away,
the
necropolis of Pantalica, the responsibility of the
Municipality
of Sortino), a good level of conservation has
been
achieved.
The
inscription proposal dossier sets out the state of
conservation
in detail.
State
of conservation:
As
the ICOMOS mission was able to observe, the state of
conservation
of the properties proposed for inscription is
satisfactory.
As indicated in the proposal dossier, there are
numerous
indicators for the periodical
measurement
of the
state
of conservation:
- by photograms:
from 1977 to 1999, the area
considered
has been covered by a campaign of
periodical
aerial photography surveys.
Checks
and monitoring – which will continue to be carried
out
– have enabled a good evaluation of the state of
conservation.
- By
the establishment of a risk
survey for
the
archeological
heritage of the area concerned.
- By constant
surveillance of
the maintenance, repair
and
restoration works, particularly of works
undertaken
on privately owned properties, and the
possibilities
of illegal architectural treatment.
Management:
The
management plan described in the inscription proposal
is of
very high quality. In fact a special
document on
management
is
attached to the proposal. It is a model of the
genre.
It includes:
In
addition to a definition of the basic requirements of
ICOMOS
in this matter,
- a
long-term plan for the years up to 2035,
- a
schedule of works planned for the period 2004-2008.
It
reviews and analyses all the existing plans relating to the
zone,
and the projects drawn up (general development
plan,
detail plans, town plan, landscape planning). The plan
is
remarkable for the following reasons:
- its
social
dimension:
raising the population's awareness of
conservation
problems,
- and
its educational
component: training
in conservation
techniques
at the University.
Risk
analysis:
a) Pantalica
The
Pantalica necropolis is located in a zone which is
distant
from all urban areas and industrial facilities. This
remarkable
location safeguards it against a wide range of
risks.
b) Syracuse
Syracuse
on the other hand is located near a zone of largescale
industries
and in a modern urban fabric. This means
it is
subject to various kinds of pressure.
As a
result, the Regional Agency for Environmental
Protection
(instituted by the Regional Law no. 6 of 3 May
2001)
has made special efforts to keep pollution
phenomena
under surveillance. The analysis results are
summed
up below
- air
pollution
Syracuse
is affected by emissions from factories. The rate
of
compliance with legal emission requirements is 75%.
As a
result, the risks for the heritage are minimal.
-
land pollution
The
Syracuse zone is not affected by this type of risk.
-
electromagnetic pollution
The
whole region is affected by this type of risk. But the
studies
and analyses show that it has no impact on heritage
conservation.
-
noise pollution
The
modern part of the town of Syracuse is affected by
noise
pollution from road traffic. In the archeological and
historic
zone however traffic is limited, and does not
represent
a serious risk for the heritage.
-
radioactive pollution
No
risk has been detected.
-
water pollution
It
has emerged that some drinking water has been affected
by
pollution. But this contamination has no impact on the
heritage.
-
Illegal constructions and eyesores
Periodical
surveillance and surveillance have greatly
reduced
these risks over the last few years.
Effective
periodical monitoring is carried out for all these
risks
by the following organisations:
- the
provincial authorities,
- the
departmental authority,
- the
"carabinieri" police force,
- the
Italian Health and Prevention Laboratory,
- the
Syracuse health authority.
c) for
the whole zone
The
main source of concern in this zone is the earthquake
risk,
which is high throughout eastern Sicily.
133
A
recent league table (Prime Ministerial Order of 21
October
2003) puts the Syracuse area at risk level 2 (the
scale
goes from 1, the highest risk in Italy, to 4, the lowest
risk).
The area is under constant seismic and volcanic
surveillance,
using the Poseidon surveillance and
monitoring
system.
d) tourism
pressure
Despite
a gradual increase in the number of tourists, the
Observatory
specially set up for this purpose considers that
the
increased presence of tourists does not give rise to any
risk
of damage to the monuments and sites.
Authenticity
and integrity
For
the necropolis
of Pantalica,
whose integrity has been
preserved,
material and functional authenticity obviously