To detect in time and to control the processes of deterioration of the cultural assets represents the main challenge for a correct management of the Cultural Heritage.
7 december 2016
Hispania Nostra is a non-profit association that has just turned 40. It is dedicated to the defence, safeguard and value enhancement of the Spanish Cultural and Natural Heritage. Since 2011, Hispania Nostra has convened the Prizes for Good Practices in the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Heritage, and jointly, celebrates a Day of Good Practices, which this year is dedicated to Preventive Heritage Conservation. The event will take place on 13 December at the seat of the COAM - Official College of Architects of Madrid, and promises to be very interesting considering the planned interventions by renowned professionals.
Preventive conservation of heritage requires a prior strategy and a methodology to identify, evaluate, detect and control the risks of deterioration of objects, collections and, by extension, any cultural asset, in order to eliminate or minimise such risks, acting on the origin of the problems, which are generally found in external factors to the cultural property itself. This way, their deterioration or loss is avoided, and also the need to apply drastic and expensive treatments to the assets (according to the National Plan for Preventive Conservation).
It is necessary to acquire legal instruments and to create work systems that are useful for coordinating efforts, in order to share action criteria that generate sustainable over-time conservation compatible with use. Likely, it is imperative to encourage the participation of society and all the agents involved in the conservation of our Cultural and Natural Heritage.
Preventive conservation enjoys a great importance in the Master’s Degree in Cultural Heritage of the Universitat de València. In fact, it constitutes one of its three specialisation itineraries. Adequate training in preventive conservation allows a more rational planning of the investment aimed at preserving the cultural legacy, reducing the number of costly interventions – the main source of imbalance in the action programmes. That is why, from a professional point of view, it is necessary to transmit today’s society the importance of preventive conservation and, at the same time, to contribute to its involvement in this endeavour, because what is at stake is nothing less than our Cultural and Natural Heritage.
HISPANIA NOSTRA AWARDS
- Madrid Río: social and economic development
- Conservation and maintenance of the Toro de Osborne: signposting
- Portilla’s monumental complex: territory and landscape
- PHDuero pilot project: signposting
- Rehabilitation of the Abbey of San Juan Bautista de Corias: social and economic development
- Rehabilitation of the medieval canal of Barjas: territory and landscape
- Nansa and Peñarrubia valley: territory and landscape
- Hacienda de Abajo Hotel, Palma island: social and economic development
- Santa María de Albarracín Foundation: social and economic development
- Landscape intervention in Bolonia cove: territory and landscape
- Signposting of the monumental site of Alhambra and Generalife: signposting
- University of Alcalá de Henares: social and economic development
- Millennial olive trees in the Sènia territory: social and economic development
- Fluvial Park of Pamplona: territory and landscape
- Signposting of the Natural Way of the Sayago’s agrarian landscape: signposting
- Approved trail signposting, initiated in 1972 by the Federación de Montañismo: signposting
- Painted cave ecological park: social and economic development
- Devil’s Bridge park: social and economic development
- Trasmiera Ecopark. A museum opened to sky: territory and landscape
