Sulla perimetrazione del centro storico di Napoli/On the perimeter survey of the historical center of Naples

Abstract

The notion of ‘historical center’ is only apparently clear, especially in those cases where we do not have to refer to the compact and survived core within the perimeter of a small or average-sized town, but rather to a complex environment. In its specificity, Naples is one of those cases where it is already very difficult just to define texture and perimeter of the ‘old town’ convincingly. It’s no coincidence that there are multiple and substantially different hypotheses, not only in the specialist literature, but also in official documents. It is demonstrated by the substantial difference between the two perimeters in force: the one pertinent to the latest town planning, and the one defined instead by UNESCO in the acknowledgement of the historic center of Naples as ‘heritage of humanity’. The difficulty in determining in a clear and shared way where the physical and ideal boundaries of the historic center of Naples are located, is not merely a meticulous academic matter, but it is also reflected on the common perception, on the town planning and protection and the like.