Resumo
Altamira Cave (Cantabria, Spain) contains one of the most important Paleolithic rock art ensembles in Europe, forming part of the Paleolithic art of the French-Cantabrian coast, that was declared a World Heritage Site in 2008. But the cave of Altamira, as a unique asset, had already acquired this status in 1985.Having been open to visitors since the early 20th century, the cave began to show conservation problems in the 1970s, which led to its closure to the public in 1977, two years before the creation of the on-site museum. In 2001, a new building for this museum was inaugurated, which contains a replica of the main panel, or Polychrome Room, handcrafted in a manner that is very faithful to the original ensemble. In 2002, a waiting list was created for the general public wishing to access the original cave, for when its conservation conditions allowed it.During the first decades of the 21st century, comprehensive studies were carried out on the state of conservation of the paintings, monitoring the process of deterioration. In September 2012, the Ministry of Culture, through the Spanish Cultural Heritage Institute (IPCE), launched a research program for the preventive conservation and access regime of the cave. This programme included five projects, one of which was the Social Value of Altamira Project, coordinated by the Institute of Heritage Sciences (INCIPIT), of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), aimed at understanding the Altamira ensemble as a complex, diachronic, multidimensional and multivocal heritage phenomenon.
Palabras chave
Cave of Altamira. World Heritage Site. Social Value. Preventive Conservation. Multivocal Heritage.