Interview with Francisco Aznar Vallejo, president of the CICOP Foundation.

The Ciudad de La Laguna International Campus will bring current and globally relevant topics to the public from July 28 to 31.

One of the program's three training modules will delve into the value of heritage, commemorating the 25th anniversary of La Laguna's declaration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the participation of top-level speakers. Among them is Francisco Aznar Vallejo, current president of the International Center for Heritage Conservation (CICOP), considered one of the leading experts on local heritage and its international promotion.

After more than four decades dedicated to training, cooperation, and raising awareness to preserve cultural identity in a globalized world, he is one of the co-directors, along with Juan Manuel Palerm, of the course “The Rationale for Heritage in the 21st Century” at the Campus. His training will address the current challenges of heritage conservation, with special attention to the revitalization of historical spaces, endowing them with new uses and meanings.

In this interview, Aznar reviews his career linked to the management and conservation of historical heritage, delving into some of the main challenges of heritage conservation, as well as reflecting on the importance of the International Campus of La Laguna to bring this field closer to the public.

How did your connection with heritage conservation begin?

Since 1985, when I began teaching a doctoral program at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of La Laguna (ULL) on innovation and development in education through art and heritage. Later, I participated in an Erasmus program specializing in Fine Arts, the first of its kind, with the Hoger Instituut voor Schone Kunsten in Belgium, the École des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse, the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome, and the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of La Laguna. These are undoubtedly cities where heritage is highly significant.

Since then, I have continuously participated in courses and conferences, as well as writing numerous articles. Some key dates in my career include 2013, when we launched the Master's Degree in Use and Management of Cultural Heritage at the University of La Laguna (ULL), and the beginning of my involvement with the CICOP Foundation, the International Center for Heritage Conservation, since its inception in 1992.

Could you explain in detail the main mission of the CICOP Foundation and how it is responsible for protecting the cultural heritage of this city?.

The purpose of the CICOP Foundation is the conservation, management, intervention, training, dissemination, and advancement of activities related to heritage as a living entity, not as a static object. This is the framework within which we operate, holding 24 regional and 16 international congresses every two years. Furthermore, we boast an outstanding publishing program, recognized by the National Library of Spain.

We work on various projects in the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, and Latin America. Specifically in La Laguna, our home city because it houses our headquarters, we intend to advance not only our own objectives but also numerous initiatives of interest to the city. For example, we actively participate in the FES (La Laguna Economic and Social Forum), alongside neighborhood associations, and so on. This is our main strength in being here.

What type of projects does the foundation currently develop at the local and international level?

Training projects, such as those developed in Ecuador and Costa Rica, as well as intervention projects, like the one at the Cochasquí archaeological complex, are examples of our ongoing efforts to promote and ensure the preservation of the Canary Islands' heritage assets and resources in Latin America. All the work carried out in this area can be found on the website www.canariasamerica.com.

What have been the biggest challenges you have faced in recent years at the organization?

The challenge is always to keep the ship moving. As a foundation, we have many high-caliber patrons who make rowing a little easier. For example, we receive support from the University of Alicante, the University of Cartagena, the Polytechnic University of Valencia, the University of Oviedo, the Island Councils of Tenerife, La Palma, and Lanzarote, the City Council of La Laguna, the University of La Laguna, and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Our goal is to maintain the training and research activities that are so important to us. We have always understood this as specialized training and research tailored to the world of heritage.

For you, what is the significance of San Cristóbal de La Laguna holding the UNESCO World Heritage designation?
In the case of La Laguna, this recognition is obviously a fantastic element that represents a city that served as a model for those built in Latin America. It highlights the enduring nature of its heritage and its influence in the Ibero-American world from the very beginning.

How can we foster citizen participation in heritage protection?
Heritage is not a "thing," but rather a discursive process in which citizen participation is crucial. At the CICOP Foundation, we aim to shift our focus from objects to subjects, and from aesthetics to ethics. We understand that heritage is not static, but a process, and therefore active. It's not simply about caring for and maintaining things from a bygone past, but rather about ensuring that heritage becomes an instrumental resource for sustainable development.
We must remember that heritage is a living thing and belongs to the citizens, not to scholars or academics. Citizens, not just the authorities (who bear the obligation of protection and safeguarding), must decide what is done.

For you, what is the significance of holding the first edition of the International Campus Ciudad de La Laguna?
Several members and trustees of the CICOP Foundation have collaborated with the CajaCanarias Foundation to ensure that, at least in this inaugural event, heritage is a key focus.
We believe a qualitative leap is needed, one that moves beyond the perception of heritage as a top-down matter organized and decided upon by a select few supposed experts and amateurs in the heritage field. Instead, it should become an open, participatory activity where citizens inherit a legacy and are, therefore, the rightful owners of that heritage.
The Campus opens this chapter with a group of top-tier experts, bringing together citizens to raise awareness of all that they possess.

As co-director of the course “The Rationale for Heritage in the 21st Century,” along with Juan Manuel Palerm, what can we expect from your presentation at the Seminar on the Rationale for Heritage in the 21st Century?
We will explore different perspectives around the key idea that La Laguna can be a museum city, but it can never be, or should never be, a mausoleum city. The city must be livable, and heritage is livable. It is an instrumental resource for sustainable development, and the involvement of everyone is needed to truly inhabit this heritage.

And finally, what do you see as the main challenges for heritage conservation in the coming decades?
The educational aspect is crucial, and specifically, everything related to how we perceive heritage. We've moved from a Eurocentric perspective to one that recognizes other voices, such as those from Latin America and other communal heritages, which also deserve recognition. We must also keep in mind that digitization is here to stay; technology is advancing to facilitate documentation and access. And let's not forget other challenges related to the environment, climate change, and the illicit trafficking of cultural property.