International Recognition of Cultural Landscapes through the World Heritage Convention and the Relationship with Natural

rotected landscapes and cultural landscapes share much common ground: both are focused on landscapes where human relationships with the natural environment over time define their essential char-acter. In protected landscapes, the natural environment, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem integrity have been the primary emphases. In contrast, the emphasis in cultural landscapes has been on human history, continuity of cultural traditions, and social values and aspirations. Yet in spite of the strong dichotomous tradition, recent experience has demonstrated that in many landscapes the natural and cultural heritage are inextricably bound together and that the conservation approach could benefit from more integra-tion. This paper explores the recent recognition of the value of both cultural landscapes and protected landscapes and the convergence in conservation strategies