Value from the point of resident people: local memory and conflicts of interest

Italy is one of the richer countries in the world concerning cultural resources and the value of this Heritage is world wide accepted. How much this meaningful source of competitive advantage of our country is appreciated, benefited and safeguarded by local inhabitants who should be the main users of the local Cultural Heritage? In this paper we will on one side examine briefly the theoretical reasons that are putting the HERITY social task -therefore residents and local community- once and again at the center of academic and institutional discussions; on the other side we will report the most significant results of some empirical researches made about the perception of the value of Cultural Heritage by the citizens.