The ICOMOS–Ename Charter Initiative: Rethinking the Role of Heritage Interpretation in the 21st Century

“OF MAKING MANY BOOKS THERE IS NO END,” writes the biblical author of Ecclesiastes—and so it seems that of the making of many international heritage conventions, principles, and guidelines there also seems to be no end in sight. Beginning with the 1931 Athens Charter for the Restoration of Historic Monuments, through the 1964 Venice Charter, and continuing with the recent adoption of the 2003 ICOMOS Charter for the Analysis, Conservation and Structural Restoration of Architectural Heritage, the international heritage community has produced and ratified a long line of doctrinal texts setting out standards for best practices in the conservation and maintenance of cultural resources all over the world. Still, there remains a gap in the international consensus. While most existing cultural heritage charters and documents deal primarily with issues of physical conservation and site management, none specifically addresses the principles of effective communication of the significance of cultural heritage sites. THE ICOMOS–ENAME CHARTER: New Principles for Interpreting Cultural Heritage Sites