Introduction:

Coming to grips with diverse voices in participatory heritage initiatives

“…These developments were greatly influenced by the ideologies of intellectual elites from other European countries, notably England, Germany and France. Such influence can be traced back to the "Grand Tour" era and even earlier, the Renaissance, when the elites' (Italian and foreign, alike) interests in classical artworks culminated (Coulston and Dodge 2000;Dyson 2006;Whitling 2019). It was also during the Renaissance when the "cradle of European civilisation" myth become crystallised (Ieda 1995;Whitling 2019).…”

“…The value of ancient heritage was exploited even more enthusiastically during the postunification period. On the one hand, to build a world-class national capital, extensive construction works were carried out, resulting in a proliferation of archaeological finds (Coulston and Dodge 2000). On the other hand, incorporating the historic fabric into the urban planning served both practical and ideological purposes: it is much more efficient (both in terms of time and finances) to build the new capital by making use of the existing fabric.…”

“…The Fascist method of heritage appropriation had an enduring and far-reaching impact on Rome's archaeology and urban planning, partly due to the lack of reckoning with the Fascist past after the Second World War (Coulston and Dodge 2000;Higueras 2011), and partly because many of these ideologies were in line with the dominant international heritage discourse in the post-war years.…”