Rome, Italy, July 13-17, 2026
The program will meet daily from Monday to Friday
10:00听- 14:00 pm CET - times may be subject to adjustment
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This course is open to all interested parties and assumes no prior knowledge of the field. It is likely to benefit individuals working in, or aspiring to work in, the field of cultural heritage management, museums, cultural tourism, arts administration or cultural development..
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OVERVIEW
The course examines a variety of factors that present risks, threats and/or security issues for cultural heritage in the 21st century. These include overtourism, museum security, conflict, climate change, changing societal expectations and new historical narratives. 听
Each day will explore a new theme making use of contemporary examples and including some outside speakers. Participants will gain insight into underlying trends affecting cultural heritage, the different manifestations of these issues on the ground, and potential strategies to resolve or mitigate the risk.
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CERTIFICATION
Participants who complete the course will receive an AUR Certificate of Completion.听This course does not offer institutional Credit Hours.
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About your instructor: Prof. Valerie Higgins
Prof. Valerie Higgins research has focused on combatting antiquities trafficking, protecting cultural heritage (particularly during conflict and from natural hazards), and using cultural heritage to promote peacebuilding. She has a particular interest in developing community heritage responses to risk and threat. She has published twenty peer reviewed book chapters and journal articles, co-edited a book on community heritage for Routledge and presented more than thirty conference papers. She has consulted for various organisations including the Carabinieri Centre of Excellence for Stability Policing, ICCROM, and UNICRI. She is co-editor of the peer reviewed journal Heritage and Society.听
Professor Higgins career began as a local government archaeologist in the UK before completing a Ph.D. at the University of Sheffield on Italian archaeology. She joined the American University of Rome as a professor of archaeology and served as the Chair of Arts and Humanities and program director of the Archaeology and Classics program, before becoming the founding director of AUR's graduate program in cultural heritage. In addition to her academic work, she has also appeared in more than twenty television, radio and podcast programs on archaeology and cultural heritage.
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COURSE OUTLINE
Day 1: Overtourism
Tourism was once seen as an economic lifeline for heritage sites, but the exponential increase in visitor numbers since the turn of the century has created a dire situation for many historic sites. Aside from the damage caused to the fabric of the site, overtourism can also destroy local communities, pricing the residents out their homes and replacing local amenities with tourist-centered outlets. In this session we will analyze the underlying factors driving tourism trends, dig into the risks to heritage, and look at potential responses to limit uncontrolled tourist growth and protect historic centers and their communities.听
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Day 2: Dark heritage - commemorating atrocities and dark history
Heritage associated with atrocities, death, and historical periods viewed negatively by contemporary society, represent particular challenges. Many of these sites become major tourist attractions where, in addition to the difficulties of dealing with large numbers of visitors, respect for victims must be maintained. The situation becomes further complicated if there is not an accepted narrative of historical events. A more recent phenomenon has been the grassroots memorials which develop spontaneously due to an outpouring of grief at the site of an atrocity or disaster. At a certain moment in time there will need for an institutional response and it may fall to a local museum to collect the items and make decisions on a long-term plan for commemoration.
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Day 3: Conflict
Since the end of the Second World War, international law has sought to protect cultural heritage from direct attack during conflict. The passing of the Hague Convention in 1954 sought to ensure that cultural heritage would not be deliberately targeted and during the period of the Cold War there was a growing international consensus supporting this premise. However, since the 1990s cultural heritage has become increasingly weaponized due to its importance as a marker of identity and ethnicity, by both state and non-state actors. Mechanisms designed to protect heritage sites, such as the Blue Shield emblem, have instead made them targets. In addition to addressing the practical ways we can safeguard tangible heritage, we will also look at the way heritage has become part of hybrid warfare. Historical narratives, developed to justify territorial expansion or to sow divisiveness within communities, 听can result in 听heritage sites being selectively preserved, altered or destroyed in support of the desired narrative. This session will examine both the practical threats from conflict and how they can be mitigated, and the impact of false historical narratives.
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Day 4: Security priorities
In this session we will begin by looking at the recent history of museum heists and robberies. As we know all too well, famous museums such as the Louvre and the British Museum are not immune to theft, but small, less famous, museums are often especially vulnerable. Whereas in the past attention (especially media attention) has been focused primarily on paintings, today it is often jewellery and gold that is the target. We will examine changing trends and the potential reasons for them. We will also examine threats to buildings, monuments, and objects as they become the center of controversy for what they represent. This can make them vulnerable to attack by local communities, special interest groups, or activists looking for an eye-catching symbol that will attract media attention.
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Day 5: Climate change
Although in recent times other threats have pushed climate change into the background, it remains for many communities one of the biggest risks to their heritage. In this session we will review the threats and discuss mitigation and adaptation approaches for both natural and cultural heritage. In addition to examining ways to protect the heritage, we will also examine the human cost for communities that may have to face the prospect that the sites of their memories might soon no longer exist. If the decision has to be taken to abandon a site how can we help communities prepare and how can we ensure that their intangible cultural heritage is saved even if the land is not?
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Please note this schedule may be subject to adjustment.
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COURSE TUITION
鈧�1,495.00 (euros)/participant
MEALS, TRANSPORT, AND ACCOMMODATION
Please note that all participants are responsible for their own transportation, accommodation, and insurance coverage. As a major tourist venue, Rome has an extensive supply of hotel accommodation at all levels, but participants are advised to book as early as possible in order to secure the booking of their choice.
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REGISTRATION:
Please register below.听听
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL/VISA REQUIREMENTS
International participants must be informed about Italian travel information and hold a valid entry visa if required.听
For non-EU citizens, or with your local embassy.
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