La gestión de los campos de batalla:una asignatura pendiente en España

Abstract

Spain has been the scene of multiple armed conflicts throughout history, from the Punic Wars and Roman Civil Wars to the War of Independence and the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. As a consequence, different places in our geography turned into battlefields. Unfortunately, and despite their importance, Munda (45 BC), Navas de Tolosa (1212), Almansa (1707), Bailén (1808), Arapiles (1812) or Ebro (1938) have become an unknown and not valued heritage. Therefore, their heritage relevance and their educational and tourist potential are ignored. This situation contrasts with that of other European or American countries, such as Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Canada or the United States of America. This paper analyses the cultural heritage management and the situation of the Spanish battlefields throughout different international examples, as well as it formulates a management approach integrated into the National Plan for Cultural Landscape.