Digital Cataloguing of Historic Parks and Gardens in Piedmont (Italy) Using Open-Source Data

Abstract. Historic parks and gardens represent a significant cultural, environmental, and social heritage, serving as living testimonies to landscape art, biodiversity, and historical memory. Their preservation and valorisation are essential for fostering sustainable tourism, enhancing local identity, and mitigating the impacts of climate change on fragile ecosystems. Italy holds a rich heritage of public and private historic gardens. Despite previous efforts, Italy lacks a comprehensive and standardised national catalogue for these sites, hindering effective conservation and management.
This study presents the digital cataloguing of historic parks and gardens in Piedmont (Italy) as part of Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) under the Next Generation EU program. The project, aligned with the “Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo e la Documentazione” (ICCD) standards (PG 4.01 sheets), aims to create a unified, georeferenced database using an open-source GIS platform. A multidisciplinary approach integrates historical, botanical, and territorial data from public inventories, cultural associations, and prior studies. The initiative focuses on 400 sites selected for regional balance, beginning with UNESCO-listed landmarks like the Reggia di Venaria Reale.
The resulting digital catalogue will support heritage planning, promote cultural tourism, and ensure adaptive conservation strategies. By establishing shared standards, this project contributes to a dynamic, accessible national database, reinforcing the role of historic gardens in sustainable development and cultural continuity.