Decision 44 COM 7B.43

Venetian Works of Defence between 15th and 17th centuries: Stato da Terra – western Stato da Mar (Croatia/Italy/Montenegro) (C 1533)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 8B.21, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Welcomes the States Parties’ progress in setting up the International Coordinating Team and in the conservation of the property, especially for the components of Palmanova, Peschiera del Garda and Bergamo;
4. Requests the States Parties to expedite the accomplishment of the World Heritage Committee recommendations, particularly by:
   1. Finalizing carrying capacity studies and the subsequent visitor management plans as an urgent priority,
   2. Revising and enlarging the buffer zones as specified for the components of Peschiera del Garda, Kotor and Zadar,
   3. Developing and implementing the Management Plans for each component based clearly on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the transnational serial property, including the identification of attributes for each component,
   4. Developing transnational research and values-based conservation, promotion and interpretation strategies for the property, based on specialist expertise in Venetian ‘alla moderna’ defensive structures as a tool to assist the National and International Coordination Teams also through good practice sharing,
   5. Finalizing monitoring arrangements for the whole serial property through the work of the International Coordinating Team,
   6. Continuing to develop and implement the framework for Heritage Impact Assessment (HIAs) as a matter of urgency for development proposals (including those related to tourism management and access),
   7. Continuing efforts to relocate intrusive and redundant elements within the serial components such as the intrusive car parking (Zadar); and visually intrusive urban and industrial developments (Kotor). These objectives should be included in the site Management Plans, subjected to HIAs and monitored;
5. Also requests the States Parties to submit project documentation to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies for the following projects:
   1. Renewal of the Citadela Bastion in Zadar,
   2. Ravnice Urban Plan,
   3. Visitor centre at Minerska bay,
   4. Creation of an ascent and panoramic outlook point at the aqueduct’s piezometric tower in Palmanova;
6. Further requests the State Party of Italy to comply with the ICOMOS recommendations concerning the Fara parking project, and, in particular, to submit the Heritage Impact Assessment requested by ICOMOS in December 2019 as a matter of urgency and to develop a comprehensive plan for parking infrastructure and traffic control to reduce traffic and to reduce or ration car parking opportunities in the Upper City of Bergamo for non-residents in this part of the town;
7. Requests furthermore the States Parties to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2022, an updated joint report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session.