Unpacking seismic risk in Italian historic centres: a critical overview for disaster risk reduction

Abstract Historic centres are cultural, social and economical resources for communities, but also fragile areas that have often been damaged or destroyed by earthquakes. The main challenge that Italy faces in coping with the impacts of seismic events is the reduction of vulnerabilities and exposure within these large-scale heritage-listed urban areas. This paper presents a critical overview on the emerging issues in the seismic risk reduction and conservation of historic centres in seismic-prone areas. To this end, it illustrates the contextual background of seismic risk and explores how literature and research are mainstreamed in the disaster risk reduction practice. Then, it unpacks the Italian experience in seismic risk assessment and management and identifies seven thematic areas collecting the main achievements in the fields. Emphasis is given to the state of the art on the preservation and management of historic centres, considering a wider perspective on physical, socio-economic and institutional aspects. It is envisaged that the discussion presented in this paper will form a basis for future research aimed at developing a comprehensive disaster risk reduction framework for orienting the resilience-enhancing challenges in historic centres in Italy.