Historic Urban Landscape and Conservation. Opportunities and Boundaries of a Notion for the Historic Town

How could we interpret today the meaning of the word “place” in a city like Naples? In what way the idea of HUL can really help development through preservation? What are the methodologies for the analysis and interpretation of values? These are just some of the questions arising when one approaches the issues of preservation; these same issues, by the way, immediately suggest those of authenticity, identity, spirit of places, immaterial patrimony and transformation. This contribution endeavours to approach the notion of UHL in the specific case of Naples, trying to expose some elements denoting the historical and actual identity of the Neapolitan city. It will be remarked that such identity is strictly linked to the tradition of sea trade, but also to its relation with the historical and natural element of the Gulf. Our observations will revolve around the principles and the content of the documents pertaining to the concept of historical urban landscape and to how the specific tangible (and intangible) characteristics of this ancient city may be considered the fundamentals of a development that must be considered integrated with the preservation of the values of its cultural heritage.