The Disneylandization of the Historic City of Florence

Abstract

This article theorizes the Disneylandization of historic cities through an in-depth sociological analysis of contemporary Florence. Building on the concept of enrichment capitalism developed by Luc Boltanski and Arnaud Esquerre, and extending debates on Disneyfication introduced by Alan Bryman, the study argues that Florence has moved beyond heritage valorization toward an emergent form of entertainment-industry capitalism. Drawing on participant observation conducted between 2021 and 2025 within the UNESCO-designated historic center, the article develops a phenomenology of overtourism focused on the proliferation of staged “authentic experiences,” the spectacularization of traditions, and the transformation of everyday urban practices into consumable events. These aesthetic and experiential shifts are interpreted through a dialogue with classical urban sociology, particularly the writings of Georg Simmel and Pierre Bourdieu, to highlight a reversal of Florence’s historical role as an antidote to metropolitan alienation. The findings show how short-term rentals, real-estate speculation, and platform-driven tourism converge to convert the city center into a diffused hotel and entertainment park, progressively expelling residents and eroding living cultural heritage. The concept of Disneylandization is proposed as a critical tool for capturing this advanced stage of urban transformation in Italian cities of art.