The Modern Cult of Monuments in Current Architectural Heritage Interpretation and Management

Camila Burgos Vargas
Università Iuav di Venezia
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6264-0180

Volume 9, October 2025

Abstract

The paper discusses the influence and validity of the value typology proposed by Alois Riegl in The Modern Cult of Monuments, its Character and its Origin, regarding the contemporary debate on architectural heritage interpretation – or cultural significance assessment – and its management, especially when an intervention project is carried out. The focus is put on architectural heritage since its qualities in relation to space and function give it a unique character compared to other types of heritage. In addition, in most cases, interventions on architectural heritage involve transformations or additions to the built matter that require a particular approach, as these interventions may affect values. Since the publication of Riegl’s work, different value typologies have been proposed over time, in an attempt to define how to address the significance of a heritage asset. While this has been useful in many cases for the definition of heritage listings and legal protection, some value typologies in the available literature don’t offer clear definitions or have overlapping values, resulting in a difficult implementation that hinders value assessment by non-expert stakeholders and thus the proliferation of bottom-up initiatives for the protection and management of architectural heritage. The paper analyses these value typologies in relation to Riegl’s and proposes how an update of the latter can be applied in the assessment of cultural significance with examples from architectural heritage.

Keywords

Value assessment, heritage studies, cultural significance, architectural heritage

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