Bien de Interés Cultural


A Bien de Interés Cultural is a category of the heritage register in Spain. The term is also used in Venezuela and other Spanish-speaking countries.
The term literally means a "good of cultural interest" and includes not only material heritage, like monuments or movable works of art, but also intangible cultural heritage, such as the Silbo Gomero language.
Some bienes enjoy international protection as World Heritage Sites or Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

History

In Spain the category of Bien de Interés Cultural dates from 1985 when it replaced the former heritage category of Monumento nacional in order to extend protection to a wider range of cultural property. The category has been translated as "Cultural Interest Asset". Monumentos are now identified as one of the sub-categories of Bien de Interés Cultural.

Sub-categories

The movable heritage designated as Bienes de Interes Cultural includes archeological artefacts, archives and large works of art. Such protected objects may well be kept in a building which is itself a BIC.
Under the Spanish system regions maintain their own registers of cultural heritage. There have been some differences in approach between autonomous communities.
An example is bullfighting. Madrid's regional government considers that bullfighting events should be protected as cultural heritage, whereas in Catalonia a ban on bullfighting came into effect in 2012, although this was later overturned by the Supreme Court.