• MARIA VAQUERO

    @ mariavc24

    Madrid

Updated on Friday, 23July2021-01: 45

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A meeting place for football fans, for demonstrations such as Pride and 8M, and even a key step in the last stage of the Cycling Tour of Spain. The

Paseo del Prado area

and the

Retiro park

, its closest neighbor, are not only valued for their many museums, but also for their offer as an

"urban natural landscape"

. This is how Mónica Luengo, coordinator of the candidature file of this Madrid environment that aspires to be named

a Unesco World Heritage Site,

defines it

.

"We want to understand heritage in a social and lived sense, not just monumental," argues Luis Lafuente, general director of Cultural Heritage.

The Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, Landscape of Arts and Sciences

is the name of the application for inscription on this list that was chosen in 2018 as the representative of Spain, the

third country with the most recognized assets

.

In front of

24 other participating cities

, Madrid presents a "risky and complex proposal, since it is not something as defined as a building can be", explains Luengo. "Madrid is an area and a cultural landscape where there is a

wealth of values

that make it difficult to evaluate, since the work of different experts on various topics comes into play," he says.

The report issued three weeks ago by the

International Council of Monuments and Sites (Icomos)

, a UNESCO non-governmental organization, expressed doubts about the introduction of the Retreat as a unitary concept in the proposal.

However, the Prado-Retiro conjunction in the

18th century

was very representative and they coexisted for more than 400 years without any neighborhood in between.

"We have technical arguments based on historical documentation that encourage us to continue defending the green zone as a whole and not just that of the Prado", Luis Lafuente points out.

Goya statue, in front of the entrance to the Prado Museum.ANTONIO HEREDIA

Among the

factors that most affect the property

, according to Icomos, are contamination, occasional use (demonstrations, book fair ...) that can cause certain damage to the property, which must be reviewed and require a review of the proposal. "The good thing is that the exceptional universal value is already recognized by the Paseo del Prado and they encourage us to present only that part. But we understand that the good is much richer and more complex as to be limited to only one area" , defends Luengo.

The initiative, launched by the

Madrid City Council

, aims to succeed at the end of the election process, which

ends next Sunday

.

During that day, the World Heritage executive committee - made up of 21 member countries - will decide which proposals are included in the long-awaited list.

To access it, it is necessary to demonstrate the exceptionality of the candidacy, which is what confers the universal value to the proposal.

WHAT WOULD OBTAINING THE SEAL MEAN FOR MADRID?

"Reaching the end of the process with a favorable report and complying with the imposed requirements is very complicated, so we would be infinitely happy if all the work had your recognition," says the coordinator.

If finally the Madrid proposal were recognized as a National Heritage asset, "it

would be a plus for Madrid tourism

," according to the director of Cultural Heritage.

"For the Madrid City Council it would be a total success, just because of the

work done over 7 years,

" says Lafuente.

The Madrid city would be in the spotlight and the City Council would have the responsibility of maintaining the property and having a commitment to disseminate it.

Madrid would be a distinction worldwide.

"People will see the area as a natural urban landscape, not just a museum area," predicts the leader.

"There are already trips just to get to know the World Heritage Sites, so this would mean something very positive to

attract more visitors to the city,

" he says.

PROPOSAL 'MADRID.

LANDSCAPE OF LIGHT '

Basis of the request.

It is an innovative candidacy, as it is the first time that a green space has been presented within the city.

A unique place of union between art, nature and science, which also coexists with institutional buildings.

Historical reasons.

The Paseo del Prado was the first green area to be built in a European city, and it was taken as an example for the creation of La Alameda de México and other natural spaces in cities.

In the 17th century, Madrid was the most sustainable capital in all of Europe.

25 candidates worldwide.

Of the 25 proposals presented in 2020, four are natural, one for mixed goods and 20 cultural.

There are only 12 proposals directly recommended for registration.

The rest are waiting, like Madrid, delayed one year or deferred (2 years)

Currently, both the Paseo del Prado and the Retiro are spaces "

much loved by the people of Madrid

, and with the admission to the list they will value it even more. In addition, for humanity there will be a

commitment to conservation

. possible ruling in favor would be

all benefits,

"he warns.

In the event that the evaluating court did not rule positively, "within a year or two we would present the

Paseo del Prado proposal individually

, as it already has a value considered and almost guaranteed by the council," confides director Luis Lafuente .

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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