Evolution of the concept of cultural heritage in Europe: The incorporation of public works

This article charts the evolution in the concept of cultural heritage, that has undergone substantial change as from the nineteen-sixties and early seventies, primarily due to the need to save Egyptian monuments threatened by the Aswan high Dam and which gave rise to considerable campaigning by UNESCO. The interest with respect to the heritage of public works began in the eighties, following the Conference of European Ministers responsible for Architectural Heritage held in Granada in 1985 and the Working Group dedicated to Industrial and Technical Heritage. The chair of Art and Aesthetics at the College of Civil Engineering in Madrid, under the auspices of José Antonio Fernández Ordóñez, has more than demonstrated this concern for our heritage by a vast accumulation of studies and catalogues.