Church or museum? : tourists, tickets and transformations

Abstract

This thesis considers whether the commodification of the Renaissance through the increase in international heritage tourism is impacting Catholic Church sites in Tuscany, Italy holding Renaissance heritage materials resulting in the introduction of contemporary museum management practices. In apparently one of the most devout Catholic countries in the world, it appears that the Catholic Church is faced with the dilemma of maintaining the integrity of its sites as sacred spaces while addressing invasions by visitors whose primary focus may not necessarily be spiritual. The relationship between the Catholic Church and heritage tourism is examined through the case study of four Catholic Church sites in Tuscany, three of which are located in the city of Florence. The case studies are presented against a historical background for the development of State and Catholic Church cultural heritage policy in Italy. The research findings have revealed a clear linkage between the development of cultural heritage policies and legislation by both the Italian State and the Vatican State, the growth in international heritage tourism and the resulting economic benefits. It argues that cultural heritage has increasingly become a resource to be exploited and, therefore, a driver of revenue raising strategies for the economies of both States. The case studies are also set against a background of the development of heritage tourism in Tuscany and specifically Florence, a city heralded as the 'cradle of the Renaissance'. The research has, in addition, established that, as a result of its privileged position both in the scholarly arena and the public imagination, the Renaissance has become a powerful global brand and is a major revenue raiser for the Italian economy. The Renaissance is more persuasive than any other cultural period in winning the tourist euro or TEuro. It can be argued that this iconic 'marking' has been a key driver of the transformation of the urban landscape of the city of Florence as well as the transformation of specific monuments that have become significant tourist attractions and consequently now integral to the city's economy. Findings from the case study sites highlight that six hundred year old churches, whose Renaissance artefacts were never meant to be distinguished from their religious function, are increasingly ill equipped to cope with the pressures presented by contemporary tourism. The study has further revealed some evidence of tension between the maintenance of traditional spiritual functions in churches and meeting the increasing demands of heritage tourism. Reluctantly or otherwise this tension appears to be resolved in the transformation of religious spaces and the blending of spiritual functionality with museum-like practices. Consequently, the churches studied seem to be unintentionally transforming into quasi museum spaces, and in the process their key stakeholders forced to adopt more formal management structures and practices particularly to address pressing financial, security and conservation issues. The investigation of the resulting management interventions at the study sites suggests a positive association between the size of the heritage site, the strength of the site as a tourist attraction, the nature of the management structures and museum likeness, the number of visitors and the economic benefit generated, or TEuros. It is precisely the nature of these linkages that has opened up a window for a different museum type in Italy. The findings and conclusions drawn from this study are limited to one region and in particular the city of Florence, albeit one that is most strongly associated with the development of the Renaissance. The study has also focussed on only four sites. Further research could be extended to cover other religious sites throughout Italy potentially enabling the creation of a hypothetical landscape to graphically portray the relationship between TEuros, religious sites and their management structures across the Italian territory. Finally, the study argues that the Catholic Church appears to conform to the multiple forces linking consumer culture, tourism and economics rather than resist the invasion of its spaces by large numbers of visitors. Therefore, whilst its traditional congregations may be diminishing, the Church appears to welcome a new type of pilgrim. This research suggests that the Church may be actively capitalising on heritage tourism, consciously allowing it to flourish as it recognises opportunities to fulfil its evangelist mission.

Date of Award	2013
Original language	English