Life Between Monuments. Local Identity and Global Tourism in the Neighborhood of San Lorenzo in Florence

The paper reflects on how the identity and authenticity of art cities, with special regard to those that are considered as best practices in the field of heritage protection, can be undermined by processes of tourist gentrification stimulated by the global interest they exercise because of their recognized universal value. The neighborhood of San Lorenzo within the World Heritage Site of Florence (Italy) is presented as a case study of a historic community whose socio-economic fabric has deeply changed over the years due to increasing overtourism. The paper focuses on the action research “San Lorenzo Laboratory”, coordinated by the Department of Architecture of the University of Florence, which aims to define, on a participatory basis, a shared strategy for the socially sustainable regeneration of the neighborhood, leveraging the redesign of public space and the reuse of an abandoned historical complex - the former monastery of Sant'Orsola. The results of the Laboratory, which took the form of requests and design concepts derived from discussions between experts, citizens, and stakeholders, have been delivered to the public institutions concerned and are intended to pave the way for a development and management model for the entire historic center, alternative to the tourist monoculture. The paper concludes by highlighting how the first effects of the initiative can be seen today in some policies and measures implemented by the City Council in response to the social and economic crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.