Luces Awards: Cultura Intacta, the organization that protects mansions and monuments

A house implies work. The necessary to go from plans to construction, from a vacant lot to the first floor and, from there, to the second. But above all it requires work to keep it in optimal condition. The houses do not remain frozen in time, as the properties in the Center of Lima attest, much of them with historical value, many of which do not receive the required maintenance.

But where the State does not reach, there are private individuals committed to preserving heritage. That is the case of Cultura Intacta, a volunteer institution that won the Luces 2023 Award for Initiative of the Year. Founded by Helen Durán, this private association was born in November 2020. Given the possibility that monuments in the capital would be affected during the marches against the short-lived president Manuel Merino, Durán coordinated with volunteers to wrap the statues in the center in plastic wrap as protection. A minimal intervention, she kept the monuments safe. After this experience, now converted into an NGO, her team reconsidered its goals to recover mansions in the capital.

“All of our members have joined through our volunteer programs. We make calls from time to time to open this opportunity to any interested party, as well as to specialists to accompany us in the recovery and preservation of heritage.”explains Durán, an administrator by profession. In her work group she deals with multidisciplinary professionals, such as archaeologists and architects.

For the person in charge of Cultura Intacta, historical heritage is not only tangible proof of the events we experience as a society, but also the possibility of connecting with our memory as citizens. “It not only happens with Peru, but throughout the world; Thanks to the preservation of heritage, of the historical legacy that we can see and feel, we can understand the origin of many things“, says.

According to architect Paul Chauca, a volunteer with the group, people’s ignorance of materials such as adobe and wood is one of the most common threats. Added to this are informal remodelings, which end up affecting the structures.

To face this problem, architect Milenka Castillo highlights the importance of education: people must be aware of the place where they live, the importance of their country house or their mansion as part of the city. “If you don’t know that importance, you won’t be able to take care of it. It’s not just about saying ‘take care of it because it’s heritage’. It is about explaining what heritage value means and how we should take care of it.“, held.

In its almost four years of activity, for the representatives of the institution, its greatest achievement lies in its volunteer program, which has allowed them to connect with different professionals, in addition to strengthening ties with the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Lima and other communes.

Currently, they are restoring Casa Barbieri, at the intersection of Jirón Callao and Rufino Torrico; example of a Lima mansion whose history promises a second debut.

This is how intact culture works

How can civil society participate in heritage preservation projects? Here are the five steps followed by this institution.