National heritage includes assets of historical, cultural or natural importance.
The term patrimony comes from the Latin word patrimonium . The concept can refer to all the assets that belong to a legal or natural person and that can be valued economically.
National , on the other hand, is that which is linked to a nation . A nation is also the name given to the territory of a people or State or to the group of people who live in a country governed by the same authority.
Based on these ideas, we can move forward with the definition of national heritage . In the field of economics , this is the name given to the sum of the values that, at a given time, are assigned to all the resources that a nation has available for the development of its economy .
The concept of national heritage
It is important to note that the term national heritage can refer to different issues. At an economic level, as we have already indicated, it is associated with the resources that a country has.
Beyond this broad or general meaning, it is common for the concept to refer to places that, due to their historical, cultural or natural interest, enjoy special protection by the State . There are institutions and organizations that are dedicated to working for the preservation and promotion of these sites.
National assets can also be understood as being made up of assets that are owned by the State. In this sense, national assets function as a synonym for state assets.
The Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is administered by the Spanish public body called National Heritage.
The case of Spain
In Spain , a public agency that operates under the Ministry of the Presidency, Relations with the Courts and Democratic Memory is called the National Heritage . Its mission is the protection and maintenance of those assets that have a historical relationship with the Spanish Crown.
National Heritage is responsible for the administration of a wide variety of assets, from gardens and parks to palaces, paintings, jewelry and furniture. These assets belong to the State of Spain and can be used by the royal family.
The National Heritage and the palaces
Many palaces are managed by the National Heritage , making use of the power granted to it by law. One of them is the Royal Palace of San Lorenzo de El Escorial , also known as the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial .
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site , it was built in the 16th century and was the residence of members of the Crown. The crypt contains the remains of most of the monarchs of the Austrian and Bourbon dynasties.
The Royal Palace of Riofrío , the Royal Palace of Aranjuez , the Royal Palace of La Almudaina and the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso are also administered by the National Heritage .
A film by García Berlanga
“National Heritage” is the title of a Spanish film that was released in 1981. Directed by Luis García Berlanga , it is a comedy starring Luis Escobar , José Luis López Vázquez , Mary Santpere and Amparo Soler Leal .
It is worth noting that “Patrimonio nacional” is the sequel to “La escopeta nacional” , a 1978 film. Finally, in 1982 , the last part of the saga was released: “Nacional III” .