Tourism and Architectural Heritage Consumption: The Case of the City Centre of Bologna, Italy

The essay analyses the relationship between architectural heritage and tourism. In particular, it focuses on the strategies developed to recover the historical centre of Bologna, Italy, from the first recovery plan in 1969 to more recent efforts. The paper begins with a theoretical reflection on the role of built heritage in enhancing tourism and vice versa. It demonstrates how this relationship can be complex and requires careful management and planning to avoid phenomena that can “consume” the heritage itself, such as over-tourism, the expulsion of local inhabitants, and the loss of local shops. Following this introduction, the case of Bologna is presented by describing the main characteristics of its significant historical centre and recent tourism data. The analysis delves into past and recent public plans and strategies that have impacted the historical assets of the city centre. Finally, the essay discusses how the recovery and valorisation of such heritage were designed and whether these efforts can prevent the consumption of heritage due to tourism, especially in contemporary actions.