World Cultural and Natural Heritage in Spain and Brazil

Abstract

In this article some ideas are brought forward about the conceptualization and articulation of cultural and natural heritage at an international scale. Taking the Athens Charter of 1931 as a starting point, the conceptual evolution is analyzed through documents produced by UNESCO. At the national scale the approach is based on the regulations on the protection of heritage and the ways that the recommendations by international organizations have been incorporated. Finally, the respective declarations of World Heritage Sites in both of the reference countries allow the different awareness of the regulations and meaning of these declarations of each country to be assessed.