CULTURAL HERITAGE

The term ‘cultural heritage’ has not always meant the same thing. Recent decades have seen the concept of heritage—much like that of culture— undergoing a profound change.Having at one time referred exclusively to the monumental remains of cultures, heritage as a concept has gradually come to include new categories such as the intangible, ethnographic or industrial heritage. A noteworthy effort was subsequently made to extend the conceptualization and description of the intangible heritage. This is due to the fact that closer attention is now being paid to humankind, the dramatic arts, languages and traditional music, as well as to the informational, spiritual and philosophical systems upon which creations are based.The concept of heritage in our time accordingly is an open one, reflecting living culture every bit as much as that of the past.