Analysis Methods, Key Factors, and Strategies for an Integrated and Renewal Reading of UNESCO Heritage: The Cases of Pantelleria, the Aeolian Islands, and Mount Etna

Abstract

Recognizing heritage sites such as UNESCO sites defines a complex framework in which conservation and enhancement processes are closely linked to their intrinsic capacity for renewal and their re-contextualization within the contemporary landscape. This necessitates a comprehensive reconsideration of actions and strategies within design disciplines, aiming for a systemic approach to interpreting territories, fostering territorial development and cultural innovation, while simultaneously preserving the integrity of natural and cultural assets. This article proposes a site analysis methodology that, through the identification of key factors, derived from the study Il Patrimonio Immateriale UNESCO. Studio di progetto per un Osservatorio [UNESCO Intangible Heritage. A Project Study for an Observatory], enables the delineation of the distinctive features of the sites—material, cultural, productive, and social—on which targeted operational scenarios can be developed. Based on a study of UNESCO sites in Sicily, conducted at the University of Palermo, the article examines three cases: two territorial systems (the Aeolian Islands and Mount Etna) and one intangible practice (traditional agricultural practice of cultivating the vite ad alberello [head-trained bush vines] of Pantelleria). The objective here is to apply and test the proposed methodology in diverse contexts to assess its effectiveness and replicability as a tool for site analysis and monitoring, as well as a preliminary framework for defining action scenarios in which design disciplines play a key role.