Protection of Cultural Heritage

The essential difference between traditional and modern heritage protection lies in an understanding of whom protection is meant to serve.

Traditional protection is based primarily on the conviction that its objective is the physical protection of individual cultural monuments from attack, and from the changes wrought by time and modern ways of life, and on a presentation of the values that have led us to protect a monument as an item of cultural heritage.

By contrast, contemporary approaches expand the scope of those participating in protection (from the profession and local communities to civil society), in research, direct interventions in and on buildings, decision-making and the search for the most appropriate solutions, as well in heritage management.