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
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.
National – at the level of states and countries
States also classify heritage at various levels, corresponding to different levels of safeguarding and protection.
For example, in Portugal we have National Monuments or Monuments and Sites of Public Interest, which require specific protection rules.
Special Protection Zones can also be created to protect the surroundings of these monuments and sites.
Municipal – at regional and local level
Local authorities also promote protection mechanisms by establishing criteria for the protection of monuments or buildings of municipal interest.
