Heritage education e pedagogia del patrimonio culturale: per un approccio olistico e globale

The contribution explores the development of educational research on cultural heritage in Italy, comparing it with the European context and focusing on heritage education as an academic discipline. Starting from the semantic variability of cultural heritage, the research highlights the educational potential of a holistic interpretation of cultural heritage—an approach embraced by the italian expression of ‘pedagogia del patrimonio culturale’, a more comprehensive term than the commonly used ‘educazione al patrimonio’. The study outlines a theoretical foundation for heritage pedagogy, emphasizing the role of the university and prospects for future development, promoting a global strategy to reduce the misalignment between theory and practice.