Italy is a cultural superpower, says UNESCO representative

(AGI) Rome, Apr 4 - Italy is a cultural superpower, and its heritage should be not only drawn on but also built upon, enhancing the value of the country's assets for the future, said President of UNESCO's Italian Commission Franco Bernabe. In a meeting at the Farnesina with Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, he set out the guidelines for his new appointment: "Our country is lacking many things, especially natural resources, but it has highly important intangible resources - traditions that are rather taken as read, as if we were enjoying the benefits of an inheritance without building a future upon it." The former President of the Venice Biennale and the MART Museum of Modern Art of Trento and Rovereto added: "On the contrary, I believe heritage must not be simply valorised but also built: we owe it especially to the younger generations who need to see the building of future cultural perspectives as a factor for growth and economic potential for Italy." With regard to the growing numbers of foreign tourists to Italy, Mr Bernabe put the stress on "a potential that needs to be exploited", focusing "on enhancing value, not just financial, but also in terms of quality." For this to happen, he added, the emphasis had to be on "the value of collaboration" to trigger "synergies" between the "many institutions that work to safeguard Italy's heritage." (AGI). .