National Palace of Sintra hosts 9th Iberian Meeting of World Heritage Managers

On 15 and 16 September, the 9th Iberian Meeting of World Heritage Managers, organised by the UNESCO National Commission, Património Cultural I. P., and Parques de Sintra, the managing body of the Sintra Cultural Landscape, took place at the National Palace of Sintra, the World Heritage Site that hosted the event and whose classification took place in 1995. This year's edition focused on the themes of "Conservation, Authenticity and Sustainability of World Heritage Sites," UNESCO-recognised assets shared by the whole of humanity and which require constant attention from the bodies that manage them.

The opening session was attended by Ambassador José Filipe Moraes Cabral, President of the UNESCO National Commission; Sofia Cruz, President of the Board of Directors of Parques de Sintra; Orlando Sousa, President of ICOMOS Portugal; María Agundez Lería, Deputy Director General for the Management and Coordination of Cultural Assets at the Spanish Ministry of Culture; Maria de Lurdes Craveiro, Secretary of State for Culture; and Basílio Horta, Mayor of Sintra.

Sofia Cruz emphasised that in Sintra, "between unique monuments, exceptional parks and gardens, and over a thousand hectares of forest, there is a memory that needs permanent protection. Over the last two decades, this has largely been the responsibility of Parques de Sintra - Monte da Lua. It is this responsibility that unites the more than 300 employees of this public company."

The President of the Board of Directors of Parques de Sintra emphasised the importance of the Sintra Cultural Landscape Management Plan and the management instruments that have enabled the company to fulfil its mission and position itself as a global reference in its field. "62 awards, of which 33 are international, are testament to the success of this project, based on best practices, and which has made it possible to implement and apply work methodologies that are unique to Parques de Sintra," she emphasised.

Sofia Cruz also pointed out that, "in the last decade, despite the pandemic period, the parks and monuments managed by Parques de Sintra,’ which is not funded by the state budget, ‘have received around 25 million visits, with the company investing 40 million euros in the built and natural heritage under its care."

For his part, Basílio Horta, Mayor of Sintra, said that "heritage protection has been one of Sintra's strategic axes, based on the principles and guidelines of the Venice Charter, making it possible to improve and consolidate the state of conservation of listed buildings. Continuous conservation and restoration work and the provision of new facilities to support visitors have created other points of interest, allowing visitors to stay longer in the landscape."

The mayor argued that "a few months away from celebrating the 30th anniversary of the inscription of Sintra's Cultural Landscape on UNESCO's World Heritage List, and 25 years since the creation of Parques de Sintra Monte da Lua," we must "maintain the challenge and take on Sintra's Cultural Landscape as a living landscape that retains an active social role in contemporary society." He concluded his speech by mentioning "the enormous responsibility" that "preserving this legacy of identity and safeguarding Sintra's unique status" represents.

Bringing together specialists from Spain and Portugal who are responsible for managing the heritage of both countries on the World Heritage list, the Iberian Meetings promote reflection on key issues for these professionals, encourage the exchange of information and experiences, and facilitate the sharing of good practices in areas relevant to the protection, conservation and enhancement of heritage. In this edition of the event, in line with the concerns on the international agenda, the discussion panels centred on ‘Conservation and Climate Change’; ‘Restoration and Traditional/Innovative Techniques’; ‘Authenticity and Development’; ‘Safeguarding and Collaborative Processes’; and ‘Cultural Landscapes and Sustainability’.

The Iberian Meetings of World Heritage Managers are organised alternately by Portugal and Spain at World Heritage sites and are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. Their longevity and interest prove the continued co-operation between the two peninsular countries in safeguarding and exchanging knowledge on heritage issues in a UNESCO context.

2024 also marks the anniversaries of the Venice Charter on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (1964), the Nara Document on Authenticity (1994), and the Florence Declaration on Heritage and Landscape as Human Values (2014).