About CICOP Italy

About CICOP Italy

The International Center for the Conservation of Architectural Heritage – Italy, CICOP Italy in short, is a private non-governmental non-profit organization, which has as its primary objective the preservation and enhancement of the architectural heritage in the context of international cooperation with organizations and institutions with similar objectives.

CICOP Italy is affiliated to the CICOP Net Confederation (Network of International Centers for the Conservation of Architectural Heritage).

Duomo di Orvieto, particolare del timpano.

Orvieto Cathedral, detail of tympanum.

CICOP Italy actively participates in international cooperation projects, organizing in Europe and America since 1992 international conferences on the recovery of the architectural heritage, developing international cooperation programs for restoration work in historical centers, and organizing training courses and international masters over specialized topics concerning the restoration and comprehensive upgrading of the built heritage. The cultural activities of CICOP Italy are built around three key areas:

  • training, with numerous international activities in the different fields of restoration and rehabilitation of the built heritage;
  • research and development in specialized fields concerning all phases of the design and construction process of the restoration and maintenance, historical technologies, advanced technologies, materials; these activities are involving experts from around the world;
  • divulgation and international cooperation, promoting various social sharing campaigns for the recovery of cultural heritage of historic centers.

More recently CICOP ITaly began to carry out publishing activities, publishing books and conference proceedings under the banner Edizioni CICOP Italia.

Objectives

CICOP Italy, through various cultural activities, pursues the strengthening of international cooperation for a successful implementation of architectural heritage redevelopment. The main objectives contained in Art. 2 of the Statute can be summarized as follows:

  • promote the comparison between different subject areas equally sensitive to the themes of restoration and proper use of local resources;
  • contribute to the definition of possible intervention strategies, through the specification of methodological guidelines and standards of conduct in different social and environmental contexts;
  • contribute to the understanding of the processes at the basis of environmental change;
  • encourage technological innovation addressed to the preservation of built environment;
  • encourage the integration of research and practical testing between different countries;
  • help overcome the static conception of cultural heritage, helping to develop a dynamic and conscious relationship with the territory and local communities.

Collaborations

Among the institutions and bodies with which CICOP Italy has activated collaborations and from which has obtained funding on the topics of Redevelopment and Conservation of built Heritage, there are:

  • the National Research Council (Italy);
  • the National Science Foundation (USA);
  • Universities, Academies and Institutes of Research of at least 15 European countries, including Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Greece, Spain and Portugal.

International Network

CICOP Italy was in 1994 a founder of CICOP Federation and one of its member until 2011, when it broke away to be able to pursue more strongly its opening at international level aimed at all geographic areas, by founding later in 2012, along with other International Centers, the CICOP Net Confederation.