The need to care for and safeguard the historical and architectural heritage to hand it over to future generations: this is the objective of “Heritage Meets the Future”, international conference tomorrow and Saturday 18 May and anticipation of the second edition of the Bologna Portici Festival, scheduled from 4 to 9 June, the urban festival promoted by the Municipality of Bologna to celebrate the UNESCO recognition. A two-day event that brings together scholars, researchers and representatives of institutions to identify shared solutions for the protection of a living asset, crossed daily by citizens, to be protected and safeguarded as a symbol of the city, together with the Towers.
The conferences
“Perception, use and care of the historical urban heritage: Bologna and its porticoes” is the title of the scheduled day Friday 17 May at Cinema Modernissimo, starting from 10 which will see alternating interventions by teachers, scholars and researchers, followed by a round table discussion between the Ambassador Liborio Stellino, Permanent Representative for Italy at UNESCO, in dialogue with the Youth for UNESCO and the doctoral students of the Architecture Course at the University of Bologna who will propose their innovative solutions for the protection and enhancement of the urban heritage. The scenario of the Modernissimo could only suggest a story through images of the porticoes: during the afternoon a selection of period films from Home Movies – National Archive of Family Films of Bologna will be screened commented by Elena Pirazzoli, while at the end of the On the day, the screening of the short film “Guida per viaggio all’ombra” is scheduled, a 1954 documentary by Renzo Renzi, a poetic tale of the Bolognese porticoes with the narrating voice of Sergio Zavoli.
Saturday 18 May, Always from 10the Salaborsa Library host “Global challenges, shared solutions” which will bring together the UNESCO site managers of some of the most important European cities awarded the recognition of World Heritage Sites, for an all-round discussion on the challenges of protection in different contexts: Bordeaux, Nice, Amsterdam, Krakow and Odessa, which from 2022 together with the drama of conflict and human losses, it also experiences the urgency of preserving its urban heritage from destruction. The debate continues with the point of view of the institutions, in the round table which will bring together, in an all-female parterre, UNESCO Deputy Director Jyoti Hosagrahar, Marianne Knutsen, Member of the Board of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, Maria Chiara Esposito, Head of Cultural Policies of the European Commission, Directorate General for Education and Culture e Adele Cesi, contact person for the National Focal Point of the World Heritage Convention at the Ministry of Culture. The conclusions are entrusted to Helle Søholt of Studio Gehl in Copenhagen, today recognized as one of the most important architectural-urban design and research studios in the world: his speech will focus on the importance of a “person-centric” approach to the valorisation and care of urban heritage, which starting from the analysis of data on movements, behaviors and needs of people in the city space is able to implement the quality – environmental, social, relational – of public spaces.
The two days will end with the ceremony unveiling of the first UNESCO plaquesymbol of the recognition of the Portici of Bologna as a World Heritage Site, which will be placed in Piazza Maggiore on the stretch of porticoes of Palazzo d’Accursio, the ideal completion of the path that saw the awarding of the prestigious recognition in 2021. Appointment at 12.30pm on Saturday 18 MayIn presence of Jyoti Hosagrahar, Deputy director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre: the ceremony will be opened by the performance of the children’s choir of the Bernstein School of Music Theater in Bologna, which will perform the Hymn of the Portici, and closed by the monologue of Marinella Manicardi, “The porticoes with closed eyes”, original text composed by the writer and actress for the occasion.
Off events
There are many events in the city that accompany the conference on the day of Friday 17 May: starting from 5pm in the Roberto Raviola square the installation of comes alive Flavio Favelli with “From what pulpit?”, marathon of speeches – among others the musician Guglielmo Pagnozzithe historian Luca Alessandrinithe vicar general of the Church of Bologna Monsignor Giovanni Silvagni and the actor and director Bruno Stori.
The music events, with free entry, are starting at 5pm in the Bossi room of the Martini Conservatory (Piazza Rossini 2) with concerts by JS Bach for two and three harpsichords, while at 7pm the foyer of the Teatro Comunale offers some of the most beautiful pages of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in the interpretation of the young students of the Specialization course for Opera Singers in the Mozart Repertoire of the Theatre, dedicated to the study of the works of the Salzburg genius. For those who want to discover the hidden treasures of the city’s museums, make an appointment at 5pm at the Medieval Civic Museum (via Manzoni 4) for a guided tour of the precious nucleus of Islamic works of art in the permanent collection.
The complete program with how to participate on www.bolognaporticifestival.it
The Festival
From 4 to 9 June come back Bologna Portici Festival, the great urban festival with which the Municipality of Bologna celebrates its porticoes, a unique architectural heritage in the world, transforming them into stages for creativity and art. Six days full of events, in a mix of site-specific performances, music, guided tours, dance shows in a program that mixes experimentation, creativity and rediscovery of tradition: four districts, from the centre, with the large stage in Piazza Maggiore and via Zamboni, up to the first suburbs, with Piazza della Pace and the monumental cemetery of the Certosa arriving at the new porticoes of the Treno della Barca, to celebrate once again the beauty of Bologna and the joy of sharing.
