The heritage zones

A new typology of protection in the Andalusia Historical Heritage Law (Ley 14/2007)

Abstract

From monument to cultural landscape: a new way of understanding cultural heritage through the territory. The Andalusia Historical Heritage Law (Ley 14/2007) represents a real step in the protection of heritage because it introduces a new figure in order to protect the heritage at the level of the territory: the heritage zone (zona patrimonial). The European Landscape Convention (Florence, 2000) and the evolution of the Spanish Historical and Heritage Laws have been the deciding factors in order to create this new figure which is defined at the law as: those territories or spaces that constitute a heritage group, diverse and complementary, integrated by diachronic goods representative of the human evolution, that posses a value of use and joy to the community and, in their case, landscape and environmental values. The territory is in this case the principal innovation of the law but as well its main weakness, needing a further work to precise it. The application of this law will require an exquisite work from the Administration. Advantages and risks of this figure are the object of this article.