QUÉBEC DECLARATIONON THE PRESERVATION OF THE SPIRIT OF PLACE
Adopted at Québec, Canada, October 4th 2008

Preamble
Meeting in the historic city of Québec (Canada), from 29 September to 4 October 2008,
at the invitation of ICOMOS Canada, on the occasion of the 16th General Assembly ofICOMOS and the celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of the founding of Québec,the participants adopt the following Declaration of principles and recommendations topreserve the spirit of place through the safeguarding of tangible and intangible heritage,
which is regarded as an innovative and efficient manner of ensuring sustainable andsocial development throughout the world.
This Declaration is part of a series of measures and actions undertaken by ICOMOS overthe course of the past five years to safeguard and promote the spirit of places, namely theirliving, social and spiritual nature. In 2003, ICOMOS focused the scientific symposium ofits 14th General Assembly on the theme of the preservation of social intangible valuesof monuments and sites. In the ensuing Kimberly Declaration, ICOMOS committed itselfto taking into account the intangible values (memory, beliefs, traditional knowledge,
attachment to place) and the local communities that are the custodians of these values
in the management and preservation of monuments and sites under the World Heritage
Convention of 1972. The ICOMOS Xi’an Declaration of 2005 draws attention to theconservation of context, defined as the physical, visual and natural aspects as well associal and spiritual practices, customs, traditional knowledge and other intangible forms
and expressions, in the protection and promotion of world heritage monuments andsites. It also calls upon a multidisciplinary approach and diversified sources of informationin order to better understand, manage and conserve context. The Declaration of Foz
Do Iguaçu, drawn up in 2008 by ICOMOS Americas, specifies that the tangible andintangible components of heritage are essential in the preservation of the identityof communities that have created and transmitted spaces of cultural and historicalsignificance. The new ICOMOS charters on Cultural Routes and on Interpretation andPresentation, formulated after extensive consultations and presented for ratification at
the present 16th ICOMOS General Assembly, also recognize the importance of intangible
dimensions of heritage and the spiritual value of place. Because of the indivisible natureof tangible and intangible heritage and the meanings, values and context intangible
heritage gives to objects and places, ICOMOS is currently considering the adoption of a
new charter dedicated specifically to the intangible heritage of monuments and sites. In
this regard, we encourage discussion and debates in order to develop a new conceptual
vocabulary that takes into account the ontological changes of the spirit of place.
The 16th General Assembly, and more specifically the Youth Forum, the Aboriginal
Forum and the Scientific Symposium, have provided an opportunity to further explore
the relationship between tangible and intangible heritage, and the internal social andcultural mechanisms of the spirit of place. Spirit of place is defined as the tangible(buildings, sites, landscapes, routes, objects) and the intangible elements (memories,narratives, written documents, rituals, festivals, traditional knowledge, values, textures,
colors, odors, etc.), that is to say the physical and the spiritual elements that give meaning,
value, emotion and mystery to place. Rather than separate spirit from place, the intangible
from the tangible, and consider them as opposed to each other, we have investigatedthe many ways in which the two interact and mutually construct one another. The spiritof place is constructed by various social actors, its architects and managers as well as
its users, who all contribute actively and concurrently to giving it meaning. Considered
as a relational concept, spirit of place takes on a plural and dynamic character, capableof possessing multiple meanings and singularities, of changing through time, and of
belonging to different groups. This more dynamic approach is also better adapted to
today’s globalized world, which is characterized by transnational population movements,
relocated populations, increased intercultural contacts, pluralistic societies, and multiple
attachments to place.
The spirit of place offers a more comprehensive understanding of the living and, at thesame time, permanent character of monuments, sites and cultural landscapes. It provides
a richer, more dynamic, and inclusive vision of cultural heritage. Spirit of place exists, in
one form or another, in practically all the cultures of the world, and is constructed byhuman beings in response to their social needs. The communities that inhabit place,especially when they are traditional societies, should be intimately associated in thesafeguarding of its memory, vitality, continuity and spirituality.
The participants of the 16th General Assembly of ICOMOS therefore address thefollowing Declaration of principles and recommendations to intergovernmental andnon-governmental organizations, national and local authorities and all institutions andspecialists in a position to contribute through legislation, policies, planning processes
and management to better protecting and promoting the spirit of place.

Rethinking the Spirit of Place
1.

Recognizing that the spirit of place is made up of tangible (sites, buildings,landscapes, routes, objects) as well as intangible elements (memories, narratives, written
documents, festivals, commemorations, rituals, traditional knowledge, values, textures,colors, odors, etc.), which all significantly contribute to making place and to giving it spirit,
we declare that intangible cultural heritage gives a richer and more complete meaning
to heritage as a whole and it must be taken into account in all legislation concerning
cultural heritage, and in all conservation and restoration projects for monuments, sites,landscapes, routes and collections of objects.

2.

Because the spirit of place is complex and multiform, we demand that governments
and other stakeholders call upon the expertise of multidisciplinary research teams andtraditional practitioners in order to better understand, preserve and transmit the spirit ofplace.

3.

Since the spirit of place is a continuously reconstructed process, which responds
to the needs for change and continuity of communities, we uphold that it can vary intime and from one culture to another according to their practices of memory, and that aplace can have several spirits and be shared by different groups.

Identifying the Threats to the Spirit of Place
4.

Since climatic change, mass tourism, armed conflict and urban development
lead to the transformation and disruption of societies, we need to better understandthese threats in order to establish preventive measures and sustainable solutions. We
recommend that governmental and non-governmental agencies, and local and national
heritage organizations develop long term strategic plans to prevent the degradation of
the spirit of place and its environment. The inhabitants and local authorities should also
be made aware of the safeguarding of the spirit of place so that they are better prepared
to deal with the threats of a changing world.

5.

As the sharing of places invested with different spirits by several groups increases therisk of competition and conflict, we recognize that these sites require specific management
plans and strategies, adapted to the pluralistic context of modern multicultural societies.
Because the threats to the spirit of place are especially high amongst minority groups, bethey natives or newcomers, we recommend that these groups benefit first and foremost
from specific policies and practices.

Safeguarding the Spirit of Place
6.

Because in most countries of the world today the spirit of place, in particular
its intangible components, do not currently benefit from formal educational programsor legal protection, we recommend the setting up of forums and consultations withexperts from different backgrounds and resource persons from local communities, andthe development of training programs and legal policies in order to better safeguard andpromote the spirit of place.

7. Considering that modern digital technologies (digital databases, websites) can beused efficiently and effectively at a low cost to develop multimedia inventories that
integrate tangible and intangible elements of heritage, we strongly recommend theirwidespread use in order to better preserve, disseminate and promote heritage places
and their spirit. These technologies facilitate the diversity and constant renewal of thedocumentation on the spirit of place.
Transmitting the Spirit of Place
8.

Recognizing that spirit of place is transmitted essentially by people, and thattransmission is an important part of its conservation, we declare that it is throughinteractive communication and the participation of the concerned communities that thespirit of place is most efficiently safeguarded, used and enhanced. Communication is thebest tool for keeping the spirit of place alive.

9.

Given that local communities are generally in the best position to comprehend
the spirit of place, especially in the case of traditional cultural groups, we maintain thatthey are also best equipped to safeguard it and should be intimately associated in allendeavors to preserve and transmit the spirit of place. Non-formal (narratives, rituals,performances, traditional experience and practices, etc.) and formal (educationalprograms, digital databases, websites, pedagogical tools, multimedia presentations,etc.) means of transmission should be encouraged because they ensure not only thesafeguarding of the spirit of place but, more importantly, the sustainable and socialdevelopment of the community.

10. Recognizing that intergenerational and transcultural transmission plays animportant role in the sustained dissemination and the preservation of the spirit of place,
we recommend the association and involvement of younger generations, as well as
different cultural groups associated with the site, in policy-making and the managementof the spirit of place.