THE IMPORTANCE
OF PRESERVING
OUR HERITAGE
Ian Balestrino
Chairman, Gibraltar Heritage Trust
What is our heritage and why should we preserve
it? This question has been put to me on many occa-
sions, both directly and indirectly. “Our Heritage” is
our inheritance - what the past has conceded to us,
what we value in the present and what we choose
to preserve for future generations. This inheritance
comprises the tangible, the natural and the intangi-
ble. Historical sites, buildings, monuments, museum
artefacts, libraries and archives are tangible assets.
Conservation areas, habitats, flora and fauna, geo-
logy and landforms, including those in and under
water, form part of our natural heritage to which we
must place a value. Language, religions, cuisine and
family names are examples of our cultural intangi-
ble past. Another important aspect is the historic
environment resulting from the interaction between
people and places through time, including all sur-
viving physical remains of past human activity. All
these inherited assets, the associated traditions and
memories provide us with a common language and
insight to express ourselves in a unique way to the
outside world. Our heritage is important because it
shapes and affirms our identity and shows others
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OTWO 08 / MARCH 2020
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