Patrimonio religioso en Chile. Su valoración: un proceso en desarrollo

Catholic artistic and architectural heritage has been officially recognized as part of the cultural wealth of Chile. The path towards its protection and valorization has entailed numerous legal actions based on the evidence of authenticity and cultural significance. This process is still under development and is aimed towards a comprehensive study and understanding of the buildings and their associated liturgical objects.The process has involved adapting Chile’s budgetary legislation in order to assign resources to the restoration projects, requiring a previous Historic Heritage declaration by the National Monuments Council for every building considered. As a result, much progress has been achieved in the field of religious cultural heritage preservation. Over the last 3 years, the number of buildings protected by the National Monuments law has notably increased, which means an important improvement in the legal and administrative conditions for their protection.