https://altreconomia.it/a-ravenna-i-produttori-di-gesso-fanno-ricorso-contro-il-riconoscimento-unesco/

The precise details are a little obscure to me, but in short a mining company operating in the area of Romagnan gypsums would like to cancel or at the very least revisit the nomination of that component of the EKCNA to be allowed to continue their activites. Now, I remember this being a correctly identified critical point in the referral by the AB. There is a part of the mining area that should have been left out of the core zone, but the company claims it has been included with no consultations. Management issues seems to be complex there, maybe this might also be a last show of force by the company, whose mines could be dismissed in the next years according to some plans.

Il Giorno: UNESCO World Heritage bid could disrupt Milan's San Donato plan – the details

The possibility of Chiaravalle becoming a WHS has implications for the construction of a new stadium for AC Milan.

However, I'm not a 100% sure what possible nomination Chiaravalle would be part of. Chiaravalle is not mentioned in Italy's TWHS list. It's major attraction is Chiaravalle Abbey, a Cistercian monastery, but again, I find no TWHS that aims to inscribe Italian Cistercian sites on the WH List.

This comes as a real surprise and it would truly be "the WHS next door" for me, as it is a place close where I lived most of my life and where I went very often. It could be one of those plans "bubbling under" that were discussed on the site some time ago.

So much under, in fact, that I think there is very little concreteness. As Jurre notes, it is not part of anything. It is an important abbey, but I do not really see any potential.

By the way, there is some confusion in these news: Chiaravalle is part of Milan (the big and agricultural zone 5) and not of San Donato milanese, which is a different comune (municipality). The project for the new AC Milan stadium falls entirely inside the municipality of San Donato, as this is the whole point of the club: if the city of Milan does not allow (absolutely correctly, in my opinion) to build a new stadium inside its municipality, then they will try to go to a different, but as close as possible, one. Also, the area of the planned stadium and that of Chiaravalle are already separated by a railway and a heck of a big and trafficked highway (the beginning of A1), so I do not think that Chiaravalle's area can be disrupted more than that. Moreover, any area of interest is to the west of Chiaravalle (parco della Vettabbia / valle dei monaci).

There is a "belt" of hoary Cistercian/Humiliate abbeys around Milan: Mirasole, Chiaravalle, Viboldone (a small gem with Giottesque frescoes), Monluè; further away, one could add Morimondo. My guess is that a nomination would take them all into account, with Chiaravalle as righteous spearhead. But as much as I love them, I do not see a succesful nomination (but surely do visit them when you are in the area).

Some might sustain this is a political move to block the project for a new stadium in San Donato (but by whom? by those rancorous Milanese not wanting to "lose" a team?). In my opinion a totally useless one, as I described, but I might be underestimating the impact of what comes with a stadium, though nestled between highways. Anyway, more than "bubbling under", it sounds like the slumbering wish of some locals. But: a very important restoration of the bell tower (the "Ciribiciaccola"), a real Medieval masterwork and landmark, has been going on for years and is now approaching its end. So maybe...

Italy goes for the Historical Theatres of Central Italy for 2026. This seems to be a strongly revised version of the TWHS Historical theatres of the Marche. It comprises 18 components (not 62!) and also spreads out beyond the Marche region.

"The candidacy, promoted by the Marche Region with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aims to enhance a unique theatrical model, not just performance spaces, but true symbols of collective identity, financed by citizens and local families who managed them in the form of a "condominium", an extraordinary example of community participation.

Among the candidate theaters, the following stand out:
- Marche - Teatro della Fortuna (Fano), Teatro Ventidio Basso (Ascoli Piceno), Teatro Lauro Rossi (Macerata).
- Emilia-Romagna - Teatro Goldoni (Bagnacavallo), Teatro Mariani (Sant'Agata Feltria).
- Umbria - Teatro Sociale (Amelia), Teatro Gian Carlo Menotti (Spoleto)."

This article has the full list of 18. I will update the TWHS locations accordingly.

Whoa. Would have never believed it (and I am quite skeptical), but that's it. Mysterious are the ways of Italian WHSs.

As I said in the Tentative List Updates topic, the Italian component of the European Paper Mills nomination was removed from the Italian Tentative List yesterday.

Anyone who has heard more about this? It was "Le Carte" paper mill in Pescia
(it can also be an error on the UNESCO website)

Hi all; anyone has any comment on this south italy itinerary?
something that should be different? I think timewise should work out.
(with rental car of course). tnx in advance for any tips!

Day 2
/AMS 12:00 – 13:40 LIN / LIN 16:15 – 17:35 NAP
Go to Moxy Pompeii (0:30h drive)
Day 3
/ Drive through Costiera Amalfitana WHS to Salerno (2:30h driving time plus probably headache parking)
Day 4
/ Drive (1h) to Paestum for Cilento and Vallo di Diano WHS then through the corezone via Felitto-Laurino to Civita di Padula (2:30h) and then towards Matera ....
Day 5
/Visit Matera (Sassi) WHS and Murge of Altamura TWHS
Drive to hotel (1h)
Day 6
/Day trip (0:30h) to Trulli of Alberobello WHS and visit two cities of Salento and Barocco Leccese TWHS (would be 1h driving more plus 1h back to hotel) – at the coast via Appia WHS
Day 7
/Ren Nap Drive (1:30h) via Castle del Monte WHS and drive (2h) via Longobards Santa Sofia complex WHS (arc for Appia) (additional component) to Napels Hotel (1:30h) (22 min before is Aeclanum site if time permits.
Day 8
/ Ren Nap Full day Napels WHS (and a taxi drive Bradyseism in the Flegrea Area TWHS)
Day 9
/ Ren Nap Day trip to Caserta Royal Palace WHS (1h from Napels), then Sant'Angelo in Formis NomTWHS Early Medieval Benedictine settlements, visit Amphiteater, Arch museum?, (part of Appia) not sure what the Capua dot is.
Day 10
/ Ren Nap Pompeii WHS proper and Villa
Day 11
/ Ren Nap Herculaneum part of Pompeii WHS / top Vesuvius?
Day 12
/ NAP 14:15 – 15:40 LIN / LIN 17:20 – 19:15 AMS

When we discovered Italy may not have a nomination for 2027, my reaction was surely Italy will be nominating something? Indeed, we might get a report in the next few weeks of a nomination. I even checked if Civita di Bagnoregio might come back from its rejection, looks like no. But after examining Italy's Tentative List I do wonder how much longer they will keep their annual nomination pace.

Current Tentative List: 30

Nominations that are two decades old? 20 TWHS

Of the remaining ten . . . four are scheduled in the coming years.

- Historical Theatres of Central Italy (2026)
- Early Medieval Benedictine settlements in Italy (2028)
- The System of the Ville-fattoria in Chianti Classico (2028)
- Via Francigena (2029)

That leaves six remaining nominations, most dating from 2017 to 2023 updates. However, two have already been rejected Civita di Bagnoregio (2023) and the Mediterranean Alps (2019). I suspect the Eocene Marine Biodiversity of the Alpone Valley nomination will eventually be put forward, but I wonder if Italy will also do a thorough Tentative List review in the coming years.

Google Gemini thinks it will be the Nuragic Monuments of Sardinia for 2027, but also says "Why we don't know "for sure" yet: The "Silent Period": The Italian Ministry of Culture often holds a press conference in late January to announce their official candidate for the year."

Among the more recent ones I would decidedly bet on the Greek monuments in Calabria. They are interesting, are in an area which is often neglected, and the tentative site is a rehaul, or improvement, of Cattolica di Stilo, which might be a sign of "heightened activity". Of course the Nuragic extension is just a question of time.

It is true that older TWHS in general do not look as much convincing. Maybe not a thorough list review, but they might probably retire some, like they did for some years ago. Just a pruning, not a rework.