The role of the UNESCO Chair in the strategies for the enhancement of Cultural Heritage. An overview between Garda Lake and Mincio river

The UNESCO Chair in Architectural Preservation and Planning in World Heritage Cities is caring about the problem of enhancing the architectural and archaeological heritage even in critical terms that show a renewed attention to the sustainability of the project, under the aegis of the 2030 Agenda. “The future as eternal present” means a new awareness of the existing heritage, the only one capable of guaranteeing the correct transmission of Cultural Heritage to future generations. This attitude can be summed up in the correct interpretation of the concept of authenticity. With reference to the 2000 Krakow Charter, “Authenticity means the sum of substantial, historically ascertained characteristics: from the original up to the current state, as an outcome of the various transformations that have occurred over time”. The process of enhancement must consider every factor that interferes with the object, without setting limits of time and space, demonstrating the ability of a correct analysis of the object itself, with a specific focus on its economic, social, and environmental conditions, also with a view to optimizing resources and paying attention to the sustainability of the project. Through the perception of the “legacy of the past as an economic value”, the paper intends to investigate, with an overview between Garda Lake and Mincio river, the work that the UNESCO Chair is carrying out as a support to the enhancement strategies of Cultural Heritage.