Cultural heritage as a community asset: valuing and using cultural routes for health and wellbeing

I Aline Faiwichow Estefam I

This article proposes ways to preserve and enhance cultural heritage through sport and physical activity. The research investigates two Spanish case studies that used cultural routes added to sports activities to enable tourism, landmarks values,  and quality of life to communities. After a brief analysis of the situation in São Paulo, the article draws some conclusions and recommendations for intersectionality and interdisciplinarity in the treatment and valuation of cultural heritage.

Since the beginning of the 2000s, cultural routes have been increasing its importance within the preservation policy worldwide. Cultural routes are physical paths that congregate historic and cultural elements on its way. It consists of a multidisciplinary instrument, that enables a unique visualization and use of the geographic framework, mixing tangible and intangible, mobile and immobile, cultural, and built elements. Also, cultural routes can function as an intersection between health and quality of life, and cultural and historic heritage, in a symbiotic model in which one feeds the other.

This article aims to contribute to the literature on cultural heritage by studying cultural routes that have succeeded in improving the quality of life of communities. These routes extrapolated the limits of cultural heritage and established themselves at the intersection between memory and well-being; between the past, present, and future. The research focused on two successful case studies in Spain, which used sports as a central element. With them in mind, some conclusions and recommendations for a possible practice and policy update in the municipality of São Paulo were drafted.

Cultural routes are slowly infiltrating the landmarks policies of the City of São Paulo. Recently, in March 2018, the first cultural route was recognized as a symbol of São Paulo’s memory [1]. At the same time, there are sports events within the City that use cultural and historical assets as elements of attraction. However, there is still a lack of intersection between these two elements, and an absence of intersectionality in policies and practices that would result in creating routes and cultural heritages with more functions than safeguarding memory.

Cultural Routes

Cultural routes are increasingly been used as a model for enhancing the landscape and cultural heritage. The instrument has been used in Europe since 1987, through the Cultural Routes certification, from the Council of Europe, a program that aims to enhance and preserve intercultural and interconnected heritage throughout Europe [2]. It has been internationally recognized by UNESCO through the Charter on Cultural Routes, elaborated by the International Committee on Cultural Routes (CIIC) in 2008. In this new model, routes are described as any physical path – terrestrial, aquatic, or other means of communication – with a cultural or historic significance, and that served a specific and determined purpose and provided cultural exchange and fertilization [3]. Although their connection with tangible elements, since they must be supported by tangible resources, the cultural and intangible centrality of these routes demonstrate that heritage was seen in a broader, untraditional, plural, and multidisciplinary way.

There are several ways of classifying and understanding these routes. The CIIC proposed seven thematic clippings: geographic location; cultural scope; function; historic duration in time; the influence of socio-economic, political, and cultural exchanges; structural configuration; and natural environment. [3] Additionally, several scholars have been navigating the topic. Some of them considered function as the main method of classification  – historical, rural, canals, and transportation infrastructures [4], but ended up correlating them according to a historical period and geographic location [5].

Other classifications move away from physical functions and focus on cultural significance. Hernández Ramirez, for example, classified them according to the cultural attribute of the place, which can be historical, imagined, or generic [6].  Castillo Luis, on the other hand, presented a critical view of the heritage of cultural routes and argued that several times, they have no historical relationship, but only touristic and economic one. He then classified them as cultural routes – related to historic and cultural assets; tutelar  – related to ideologies and national identity; and touristic routes [7].

For this article, the categorization merges with the definitions above and establishes a new thematic focus for cultural paths: one related to its function within society. In these terms, it classifies the cultural routes as:

1. Cultural routes with historic purposes only.
2. Cultural routes for tourism and economic purposes (with or without historical value linked).
3. Cultural routes with social and community functions (with or without historical value linked).

We will investigate routes that fall under item three – cultural routes with social and community functions. Specifically, those that provide health and quality of life for the community.

Case Studies

This section investigates cultural routes that provide social and community functions, apart from historic and cultural valorization. The case studies aimed to assess the necessary guidelines and practices to enable these types of uses. 

Healthy Heritage Routes

The “Healthy Heritage Routes” are part of the Consortium of the City of Toledo, in Spain. It is a city management model that started operating in October 2000 and aimed to preserve and restore the monumental and archaeological heritage of Toledo, rehabilitate buildings and houses in the historic center, landscape recovery, and diffusion symbolic city values. It also sought the development and enhancement of cultural and tourist activities [8].

The routes program was designed by the University of Castilla La Mancha, in conjunction with the research group PAFS (Promotion of Physical Activities for Health) at the University of Toledo, majorly to combat childhood obesity and value the cultural heritage [9] To this end, two routes were proposed within the Historic Center that passes through several points of cultural interest. [10] The routes cover both points of greatest tourist interest and those ignored by traditional tourist routes. The objective is precisely to include, value, and recognize a large part of the assets of cultural interest while encouraging sports, health, and quality of life. Informative brochures are available at touristic points and have also been distributed to local stakeholders. Each route also has historic signage with information such as nearby stop points, history of the asset, distances, calories, directions, etc. [11]

There are no registers of the number of participants or the success of the project. However, it did inspire studies on strategies for the development of children’s physical education [12], as well as the development of a healthy routes’ guidelines report, carried out by the Spanish government. Also, there are records of school trips and people with disabilities visits to the route [9].

Castile Canal

The Castile Canal is a 128 miles path connecting three different regions of Spain: Burgos, Valladolid, and Palencia. It was built in 1753 for transportation, navigation, and energy provision. With the opening of a railway, in 1860, the path was abandoned, became obsolete, and deteriorated [13].  In 1991 it was declared property of cultural interest to the Castilla and Leon region because of its historic significance and touristic potential [14].

In 2001 the region approved a regional plan for the area, a common procedure for landmarks in the country. The plan proposed extensive procedures to revitalize the economy of the area and to enable the use of the path for recreation and leisure. One of these measures related to accessibility, including cyclists, in addition to the creation of covered stop points, and urban furniture. The plan also indirectly incentivized the implementation of accommodation places [15].

Because of the improvements in the area, in September 2019, a nongovernmental group proposed a bicycle marathon, called Grand Canal de Castilla Award (GPCC) and a national meeting of classic bicycles, which started to occur annually in 2011.

The events had the goal of promoting local tourism and recover the historic and touristic importance of the place [16] and at the same time fulfill the inexistence of a Spanish professional cycling competition [17]. To promote tourism and give visibility to cultural heritage, the organization forged partnerships with local stakeholders, and offered discounts to visit historical and natural heritage sites. Furthermore, several paths were designed to go through as many villages as possible, to maximize the participants’ visits to heritage sites [17]. The event is currently attended by hundreds of people and is now recognized as an important cyclist event. Therefore, it is another example of the use of sports activities using cultural heritage valorization.

Proposals for Sao Paulo

Cultural routes are new instruments within the spectrum of the City of Sao Paulo’s heritage legislation. Among more than 600 landmarking resolutions at the municipal level, just one legislates about cultural routes. However, even if not legally recognized, there are various paths with significant cultural and historic values.

At the same time, some events already congregate sports and cultural heritage.  The “Race of the historic center”, one of the main street races in the city, is one of them. It is an annual event that happens since 1995, in which participants run around buildings of historic value in the city center. In previous years, it attracted more than 6 thousand people [18]. The race is not done in a cultural route, but it could be, and in the case, it would bring another layer to the activity – a deeply rooted cultural and historic value.

This and other similar events have a huge potential of helping to give visibility and increase the valuation of historic buildings and routes, such as what happened in the previously mentioned Spanish examples. However, there are no policies in place to congregate the landmarks and these events and activities.

The case studies provide a different perspective and enlighten new ways of seeing and valuing cultural heritage. Sao Paulo’s legislation has advanced in how it deals with cultural heritage and has been increasingly leaving aside traditional practices to adapt interdisciplinarity and creativity [19]. However, more integration with other fields and activities can be advantageous for the communities and heritage. It is particularly advantageous to integrate cultural heritage to other uses that may promote the community’s health and wellbeing, leaving aside the role of cultural heritage as uniquely a reservoir of memories, to become a  community and neighborhood asset.

The previously presented cases provide examples of how to integrate sports and cultural routes through simple methods such as signage, marketing, and partnerships. These integrations, though, do not need to be limited to sports, as cultural heritage can be integrated into several uses – arts and culture, healing, recreation, education, and many others.  However, its implementation requires a multidisciplinary and nontraditional approach to cultural heritage and its valuation, which is something that should be primordial for cultural heritage policy and practice.

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Notas

[1] SÃO PAULO (City). Resolução 25/CONPRESP, de March 5th, 2018.

[2] DENU. Penelope. Aims and philosophy of the Council of Europe Cultural Routes. In: COUNCIL OF EUROPE. Cultural Routes in Management: from theory to practice. France: Council of Europe Publishing, 2015, p9-13.

[3] ICOMOS, CIIC. The ICOMOS Charter on Cultural Routes, 16e AG / 16th GA. Québec, 2008.

[4] FERNANDEZ, Rita. CORONADO, José María. LAZARO, Javier Rodríguez. La recuperación del patrimonio de las carreteras históricas. Revista de obras publicas. Spain, n. 51, 2013.

[5]  For example, Fernandez et al. classify historical paths as pre-industrial and related to cities, and rural paths as pre-industrial and generally within an agricultural context. Moreover, channels are related to waterway transport, most of the time located away from urban centers, while transportation lines refer to railways or highways located within urban centers.

[6] HERNANDEZ RAMIREZ, Javier.  Los caminos del patrimonio. Rutas turísticas e itinerarios culturales PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural de la Universidad de La Laguna El Sauzal (Tenerife). Spain, l. 9, n. 2, April, 2011, p. 225-236

[7] CASTILLO RUIZ, José. Los itinerarios culturales. Características y tipos. Principales experiencias nacionales e internacionales. Cuadernos de arte de la Universidad de Granada. Spain, n.37, p. 319.335, 2006

[8] TOLEDO (State). Provision 17679 of the Official Gazette of the State no. 309, 2018

[9] ESCUELA DE SALUD Y CUIDADO DE CASTILLA LA MANCHA. Healthy heritage routes – Toledo. Available at: https://escueladesalud.castillalamancha.es/experiencias/rutas-patrimoniales-saludables-toledo

[10] CONSORCIUM OF TOLEDO. Rutas Patrimoniales Saludables. Available at: https://consorciotoledo.org/patrimonio/wp-content/uploads/Rutas-Saludables.pdf

[11] MINISTERIO DE SANIDAD, CONSUMO Y BIENESTAR SOCIAL DEL GOBIERNO DE ESPANA. Guía para el diseño de un Plan de Ruta(s) Saludable(s), 2018.

[12] MARTINE, Jesus Martinez. VICEDO, Juan Carlos Pastor. Educacion física en educacion infantil a traves de comic. “Salvemos el mundo: superpoderes”. LUQUE, Gema Torres. GARCIA, Raquel Hernandez. Etapa infantil y motricidade: estratégias para su desarrollo em educacion física. Spain: Wanceulen Editorial, 2019, p73-96.

[13] WAGNER, Francisco Sosa. El canal de castilla: alba y aflicción de una obra publica. Spain, Revista de Administración Publica, n. 153, 2000, p443-469

[14] CASTILLA Y LEON (State). Decree 154/1991, 13 June 1991.

[15] JUNTA DE CASTILLA Y LEON. Plan regional de ámbito territorial del Canal de Castilla, 2001.

[16] GRAN PREMIO CANAL DE CASTILLA. Guía útil, 2009. Available at: https://unavueltamejor.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/guia-util-gp-canal-de-castilla.pdf

[17] GRAN PREMIO CANAL DE CASTILLA. Proyecto gran premio canal de Castilla 2009. Available at: https://unavueltamejor.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/gp-canal-de-castilla.pdf

[18] ROSA, Jane Petry da. Corridas de Rua: aprendizagens no tempo. Master of Science Thesis. Santa Catarina: UFSC, 2013.

[19] In 2015 the city implemented the heritage day, and educational event that promotes visits and events in and about cultural heritage; in 2016 it included intangible heritage in its portfolio, and in 2019 it started to implement stamps in areas and building with importance to the city’s memory.

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Aline Faiwichow Estefam

Community expert, urban planner, past Coordinator of Safeguard at the Sao Paulo Department of Landmarks. Columbia University. E-mail: a.estefam@columbia.edu

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    v.6, n.11 (2022) 

License: Creative Commons – Atribuição-NãoComercial-SemDerivações 4.0 Internacional