Talayotic Menorca has participated in the XIV Meeting of World Heritage Managers, an annual forum created in 2007 by the Ministry of Culture and Sports to analyze and debate initiatives and projects for the managing of World Heritage sites. Although Talayotic Menorca is not yet on the Unesco World Heritage List, our candidacy has been invited because of its relevance and projection.
The meeting, with the theme “World Heritage and its management during Covid-19”, was held online on November 16th and 17th. The General Director of Fine Arts, Maria Dolores Jiménez Blanco, and the Deputy Director of Management and Coordination of Cultural Assets, Pilar Barrero García, were in charge of the inauguration.
Joaquim Pons, as representative of the Consell Insular de Menorca (CIM) and coordinator of the Talayotic Menorca candidacy, and Montserrat Anglada, Museu de Menorca technician, intervened on November 17th with the presentation “Recommendations for heritage spaces in Menorca in times of Covid-19”. As a result of the health crisis created by Covid-19 and its possible impact on the island’s historical heritage, the Consell Insular has established guidelines in different areas (libraries, archives, museums and heritage sites) to comply with current regulations and assure that sanitary measures are respected.
The Historical Heritage Service of the CIM intervention was based on two aspects:
The creation of infographics adapted to each phase of the deconfiment period and its dissemination on social networks to inform about the guidelines when visiting archaeological sites. Later, the installation of posters with the generic norms of the “new normality” decree.
The document “Recommended initiatives for Minorcan archaeological excavations due to the Covid-19 health crisis,” elaborated with the Museu de Menorca. This document, although it’s not official protocol, establishes some guidelines so the investigative teams can carry out their work with guarantees. The proposed measures are related to health prevention, cleaning and disinfection of workstations, as well as personal protection guidelines for all participants in archaeological excavations.
Spain, third country with the most World Heritage sites
With a total of 48 sites inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List, Spain is the third country with the most World Heritage sites. These annual meetings are the forum in Spain for administrations and institutions that manage World Heritage sites to find common solutions to he problems they encounter every day.
You can watch the complete presentation here.