What are the UNESCO intangible heritage sites in Italy?

Italy, with its rich and varied cultural heritage, is not only a treasure of monuments and archaeological sites recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sitesbut it is also the guardian of a priceless intangible heritage.

These intangible assets represent traditions, practices, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities recognize as part of their cultural heritage.

From the artisanal knowledge of glass making in Venice, to the festivals and celebrations that have their roots in ancient customs, Italy offers an extraordinary range of cultural elements that UNESCO has chosen to protect, conserve and promote. We see what are the UNESCO intangible heritage sites in Italy.

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UNESCO intangible heritage

The cultural heritage outlined by UNESCO is not limited to monuments and collections of objects, but it also includes a set of living traditions passed down from our ancestors. These include forms of language, performing arts, social practices, rites and holidays, knowledge and practices related to nature and the universe, as well as traditional craftsmanship.

This intangible cultural heritage is crucial to maintaining the cultural diversity in a world that is increasingly fickle to globalization. The valorization of these traditions and knowledge promotes the mutual respect between different lifestyles.

Its importance lies not only in the cultural manifestations themselves, but also in the wealth of knowledge and skills that are transmitted from generation to generation.

And this is why, in 2003UNESCO has adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritagein which precise criteria and procedures are drawn up for the identification, documentation, preservation, protection, promotion and valorisation of the intangible cultural heritage of the various countries of the world.

The requirements to get on the list

The item you want to nominate must have specific characteristics:

• to be passed down from generation to generation;
• perpetuate over time within communities, in close relationship with the surrounding environment and with its history;
• enable communities, groups and individuals to develop a sense of social and cultural belonging;
• promote respect for cultural diversity and for human creativity;
• promote the respect for human rights and support it Sustainable Development of each country.

The list is not only informative in nature; its objective is also to stimulate international cooperation and offer support to interested parties so that they can take appropriate measures to protect and preserve traditions, customs and forms of knowledge which require urgent protection.

Currently, none of Italy’s intangible assets are considered at risk.

How to nominate an intangible heritage?

The application process begins with the preliminary filling of the specific formwhich is then sent to the Italian National Commission for UNESCO. This commission forwards the application to Ministry of Culture and, if necessary, to other competent administrations for an in-depth assessment.

Subsequently, the application is submitted to Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Paris. The final phase consists ofexamination of the applications by the Evaluation Bodywhich issues the final decision.

Here are the Italian UNESCO real estate heritage:

1. The Sicilian puppet theater and the Puppet Opera (2008)
2. Il Canto a tenore sardo (2008)
3. The violin making know-how of Cremona (2012)
4. The celebrations of the large backpack machines (2013)
5. The Mediterranean diet (2013)
6. The traditional agricultural practice of growing the sapling vine of Pantelleria (2014)
7. Falconry, a living human heritage (2016)
8. The traditional art of Neapolitan pizza makers (2017)
9. Dry Wall Art (2018)
10. Transhumance (2019)
11. Feast of Celestinian Forgiveness (2019)
12. Mountaineering (2019)
13. The musical art of hunting horn players (2020)
14. The Art of Glass Beads (2020)
15. Truffle hunting and extraction in Italy: traditional knowledge and practices (2021)
16. The art of Italian opera singing (2023)