Landscape as cultural heritage

Abstract

In Mexico, the safeguarding and enhancement of the cultural landscape is not recognized, which is an integral part of cultural heritage; its existence helps to define the nature of a nation's culture. The olive Olea europea trees planted by Vasco de Quiroga in the ancient Franciscan convent of Tzintzunztan, in the 16th century, have a compositional intention, they point out the processional paths through the atrium, so that is a cultural fact. The Campeche city is walled, at the end of the 16th century, because corsairs and pirates steal their tintorios trees, the city becomes a fortified landscape; it is also a cultural witness. It is important to resort to the cultural and natural heritage ancient laws protection, where we can learn the guidelines of their tutelage. In Mexico the Federal Law on Monuments and Archaeological, Historical and Artistic Areas of 1972, invalidated the safeguard of Natural Beauties and Typical Areas. In this article, I also present a bit of my vision as an Icomos-Ifla expert for the conservation of the cultural landscape.