What is monument and historic site

In this article we will reflect on what is monument and historic site and the origin and meaning of the concepts

After the French Revolution until the 19th century, the word heritage referred to movable property as a whole.

However, we must remember that this definition is very general, since historical monuments were generally conceptualized in the same way.

Historical monuments have the meaning attributed to “a building intended to perpetuate the memory of someone or something”.

A look in the dictionary about what is monument :

mo·nu·men·t
(latin monumentum, – remembrance, monument, building, tomb)

noun

1. A building or work that conveys the memory of someone or some memorable event.

2. Grave, mausoleum

3. [Figurative] A major literary or scientific work.

4. Remembrance; memory.

It is therefore necessary to build up its history in order to better elucidate the issue.

what is monument

Historical monuments were first thought of in the Renaissance, more precisely in humanism.

The original meaning of the term “historical monument” comes from the Latin monumentum, derived from monere, which means to warn, to remember.

Alois Riegl

According to the historian Alois Riegl, in his work Der moderne Denkmalkultus (1903), Chapter I defines what is monument :

“In the most ancient and truly original sense of the term, a monument is a work created by the hand of man with the precise aim of keeping the memory of an action or destiny forever present and alive in the consciousness of future generations. In this sense, the monument, in its original sense, relates to the maintenance of the collective memory of a people, society or group. “

In his "The Modern Cult of Monuments", Alois Riegl established principles for historic preservation based on the classification of monuments. A definitive milestone for how European monuments would be treated in the 20th century.

The Convention for the Protection of the World Heritage

In order to understand what is monument the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage states that:

“For the purposes of this Convention, the following are considered to be ‘cultural heritage’:

– monuments: monumental works of architecture, sculpture or painting, […];

– ensembles: groups of buildings, isolated or grouped together, […] by reason of their architecture, […];

– sites: works by man or works composed by man and nature […].

For the purposes of this Convention, the following are considered to be ‘natural heritage’:

– natural monuments […];

– geological and physiographic formations […];

– natural sites or natural areas […]” (UNESCO, 1972).

Let’s look at some examples of what is monument and historic site

what is Monument – example – Convento de Cristo, Tomar, Portugal

Historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu in Peru, an example of mixed heritage: natural and built

Doñana National Park Natural Site, Andalusia, Spain

Sitio arqueológico no Castelo de Silves, Portugal - exemplo do que é monumento e sítio histórico

Archaeological site at Silves Castle, Portugal – an example of what is monument and historical site

What is a Natural Monument – Cono de Arita in Salta (Argentina).

What is monument and site – classification and protection

The safeguarding of Historical and Cultural Heritage is closely linked to its classification and the establishment of protection principles.

The classification of monuments and sites is established at various levels

World Heritage – UNESCO Classification

UNESCO promotes the classification of monuments and sites as World Heritage or World Heritage Sites with the aim of protecting heritage sites of exceptional universal value.

This classification implies exceptional protection and safeguarding rules that must be respected by states.

Another important classification is that of Cultural Heritage in Danger, which refers to World Heritage monuments and sites that, for human or natural reasons, are degraded or threatened and require urgent conservation or protection measures.