Riconoscere e conservare il patrimonio: dal valore universale allo spirito del luogo

In the 1972 convention, the focus of the discussion was the concept of exceptional universal value, a tool for identifying the assets to be included in the lists. The concept was the son of a European culture still linked to the conservation of exceptional objects, an expression of art and witnesses of history. In the following years, a different sensitivity emerges due to the expansion of the countries that reach a leading role within ICOMOS and UNESCO which tends to conceive heritage not only consisting of objects but of intangible assets. The concept of the spirit of the place takes shape, em-bodying intangible values. The concept of Spirit of the place starting from 2008 seems to want to mend the gap between material and immaterial and could represent an opportunity for a unitary concept of heritage.