Contemporary concepts of heritage, "old" choices: a study based on the preferences of the visitors of several museums in Lisbon

Abstract

Heritage has gradually come to be accepted as a cultural process, as has been advocated by a majority of academics over time, as well as by UNESCO itself, which since 1972 and formally since 2003 has paved the way for growing awareness that notions of heritage should not only be framed by our fascination with an object and its artistic and material value, but also by its unique social and cultural context. This article, based on a survey carried out with visitors to some of Lisbon's major museums, demonstrates that although there is an awareness and sensitivity towards recent forms of heritage such as immaterial and natural places, this segment of population tend to identify historic monuments as the main heritage goods of the this city.