Conference Paper

The aim of this paper is to examine past and current practices, and the future prospects for the protection of cultural heritage in Macedonia and Italy. Specific attention has been paid to the comparison of these two countries in terms of the legislative grounds for activities such as preserving, enhancing and accessing common heritage; the preservation and development of cultural heritage; as well as, educational, research and training programs. Furthermore, this chapter will focus on variations and differences related to the protection of cultural heritage in Macedonia and Italy. The theoretical framework will be derived from two aspects: Cultural heritage as a vehicle of cultural identity; and, cultural heritage as a factor in economic development. Furthermore, we consider the importance of ЕUROMED Heritage as a regional program which fosters the development of cultural heritage in the European Mediterranean area. It is anticipated that the results of this study will contribute to the identification of organizational issues related to the protection of cultural heritage and cultural identity as fundamental values, with recommendations on the promotion of possible measures which should be undertaken at local, national and international levels.