Overtourism and Religious Sites: two Florentine Examples

Italian art cities boast numerous tourist attractions, including notable religious sites. Crucial churches and convents charm as many people as well-known museums. For example, about one million people visit the Monumental Complex of Santa Croce in Florence every year. In 2023, seven hundred thousand travellers visited the Santa Maria Novella Basilica in Florence. The secular administrative bodies (fabbricerie) established mechanisms to explain the original functioning of the churches. In this context, a painting, fresco, or sculpture is significant not only as a piece of art, but also as a cultural artefact. They provide tools, especially to visitors without a Catholic background, to help them understand church rituals, spaces, and objects. Usually, the implied solutions are similar to those in a museum. The installation of physical apparatuses affects the layout of the space, and the presence of masses of sightseers represents a risk to such fragile environments. In light of these dynamics, the chapter aims to investigate religious sites that are mass tourist destinations and explore the solutions, potentials, and criticisms of these fragile settings. Using case study methodology, it assesses the museum-like implications that modify the space. In the discussion, it analyses the different kinds of tourists visiting Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella in Florence, and considers introducing digital tools to manage the people, attract further visitors, and facilitate their visit. It also evaluates the coexistence of the groups of worshippers and tourists. Such cohabitation requires maintaining prayer and reflection spaces, as well as balancing the desire to visit all spots with the constraints of a purchased ticket.