Tangible Cultural Heritage Monuments

A monument is something that includes a memory that is linked to an important and notable person or event of a group or community. It can be a statue, building, construction made with the intention to remember/ commemorate.
A monument can have an important value for the country where it is located. It can also have an important value on the international level (global communities).
A building of 50 years or more with historical importance for a country and as such protected by local laws is also considered a monument. If the building has an important value for the international community, it will be protected by UNESCO’s international treaty of global heritage.
A monument can be considered important due to its beauty, artistic, archeological, historical value, its added value for science, national or international history, and its traditional value.
Currently, Curaçao has 870 recognized and protected national monuments, of which 800 are located in the city center. A total of 60 monuments are country houses and churches. (www.monumentenfonds.org)
As from December 1997, Curaçao’s city center (Punda and Otrobanda) are on the UNESCO World Heritage List [UNESCO World Heritage List].