From illustrated treasure to tourist resource: the changing meaning of cultural heritage

From the moment when Europe considered sacred a certain set of objects and converted them into heritage referents that were activated and protected by the representatives of the official culture, the border line of the heritage concept has been really much broadened. The conception of the heritage as an "object", historicist and conditioned by the aesthetic is being surpassed. The new concept includes all the set of cultural value goods of culture value. Now heritage is not contemplated exclusively as a historicalartistic treasure and starts to symbolize something much more valuable such as material and immaterial elements that are fundamental to understand our identity. However, today the increasing tourist demand of these supposed authenticities is causing that this patrimony is being offered in many occasions as the expression of an idealized past.