Abstract
Purpose Access to culture is a fundamental right of people with disabilities and a significant aspect in the development of accessible tourism. A visit to a monument provides an authentic experience which cannot be substituted by any representation. However, any interventions to improve accessibility should be made carefully, so as not to alter the monument’s character, or damage it visually or structurally. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical approach model was defined in the PROSPELASIS project for the improvement of accessibility in monuments which was applied in Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki. This approach contains the following steps: evaluation of existing accessibility level; definition of alternative solutions; creation of final studies, approval by archaeological authorities and implementation of interventions. Findings In six major Byzantine monuments significant improvements were realized which include: installation of two lifts and creation of a new staircase at Acheiropoietos; creation of a metal bridge, a new staircase and installation of a lift at Rotunda; opening of the secondary gate and creation of a ramp at the Heptapyrgion fortress; creation of an accessible toilet at the Saint Demetrios church; installation in the six monuments of a WiFi system providing text and audible information as well as information in Greek and International Sign Language; creation of two tactile models; creation of a “cultural route” connecting three major Byzantine monuments. Originality/value For the first time, to the knowledge, a set of interventions has been realized in Byzantine monuments focusing on various categories of people with disabilities, i.e. motor, visual, hearing and cognitive.
Highlights
Addressing, at an international level, the problems of protection, conservation, restoration and management of historical centres, archaeological sites, architectural aggregations, monuments and works of art, has been a major issue which has gradually led to the formation of a scientific field with a very wide subject area and interdisciplinary interfaces, which is not covered, as before, by the content of the History of Architecture and Art
This paper describes the improvement of accessibility in selected Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki using a methodology created in the frame of the “PROSPELASIS” project, financed by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Financial Mechanism 2004-2009 (50 per cent) and from the public investments programme of the Hellenic Republic (50 per cent)
From the first j j VOL. 1 NO. 3 2015 JOURNAL OF TOURISM FUTURES PAGE 255 stages of a study, one should determine the parts of a monument that can be made accessible, as well as those that do not provide this possibility, though only after sufficient vindication (English Heritage, 2004, 2005)
Summary
Addressing, at an international level, the problems of protection, conservation, restoration and management of historical centres, archaeological sites, architectural aggregations, monuments and works of art, has been a major issue which has gradually led to the formation of a scientific field with a very wide subject area and interdisciplinary interfaces, which is not covered, as before, by the content of the History of Architecture and Art. We are interested in the monuments’ preservation, restoration and emergence in direct relation to their present and future environment, their integration into modern life and their connection with economic, educational, tourist and social aspects in particular. A visit to an archaeological site or monument in particular, is an original, unique experience and constitutes a main attraction in Greece for tourists. A visit to an archaeological site provides direct contact with the area and the monument, an authentic experience which cannot be substituted by any representation (visual, audio, tactile). Archaeological sites and monuments, by their nature, do not allow major interventions to their structure. Any interventions to improve accessibility should be made carefully, so as not to alter the monument’s character, or damage it visually or structurally (Naniopoulos and Marki, 2003; English Heritage, 2004, 2005; National Disability Authority of Ireland (NDA), 2011)
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