Advanced Introduction to Cultural Heritage Law

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.

Lorenzo Casini delves into the increasing globalization of cultural heritage law in this innovative and thought-provoking Advanced Introduction. Chapters build on examples of armed conflict, UNESCO World Heritage, illicit traffic and restitution, and museums. In addition to answering fundamental questions on cultural property, Casini constantly connects national and global aspects of cultural heritage law; he dissects old and contemporary dilemmas such as the public and private divide, the paradoxes of protection, the complex regulation of landscape, or the retention v. restitution approaches, and examines the future challenges of cultural heritage law in the digital age.



Key Features:








Balances theory and practice of cultural heritage law


Establishes links between jurisdiction and wider legal issues


Connects domestic and global issues of cultural heritage law


Presents a rich variety of case studies and examples from different legal systems


Adopts a multidisciplinary approach connecting the law with the broader social sciences


Introduces a comprehensive overview of international and comparative cultural heritage law



This coherent Advanced Introduction will prove invaluable to scholars across cultural heritage law and art law. It will also be an invigorating read for practitioners, museum professionals, and lawyers in cultural heritage, art law, and intellectual property worldwide. Lastly, it highlights the general relevance and significance of cultural heritage issues in the field of law and in social sciences more broadly.