Abstract

The cultural routes are goods of cultural heritage and benefit from a multilevel legislation. They are relevant at international, European, national and regional level. At international level, the cultural routes are regulated by the most important organizations that are responsible for the safeguard of cultural heritage: the Council of Europe and the Unesco. Also the European Union actively participate to the process related to the protection and the valorization of the cultural routes, through specific policies, projects, programs, and awards. At national level, Italy lacks of a regulation of the cultural routes in the Code of cultural heritage and landscape, that is the principal legislative text on the subject of cultural heritage. However, still at national level, a discipline on "thematic itineraries" is provided in the Code of tourism, as well as a discipline about the c.d. "wine routes", which is contained in a specific law. At local level, Regions have prepared specific regulations to protect their cultural routes, with which they achieved - in some cases - optimal levels of protection. The summary analysis of the multilevel legislation permits to make some considerations about the constitutive elements, purpose and juridical nature of the cultural routes.