Although in the last 50 years several treaties have been written about the of protection of cultural goods, the conscious protection of world cultural and landscape property has had difficult in imposing itself. In fact, the international political and scientific community is inclined to develop mainly the activities oriented to preserve the historical memory of either single regions or limited category of "works of art". On the other hand it leaves out important classes of cultural goods - e.g. the epigraphy, the library or the demo-ethno-anthropology- ignoring the protection of historical and artistic inheritance of several countries such as Africans and Asians countries, devastated by natural calamity, conflicts and/or political-economical crisis.

    The disappearance and destruction of whole archaeological or artistic collection such as the archaeological collections of Kosovo and Nigeria, or the destruction of unique and inestimable monuments such as the Sarajevo library, the Mostar bridge and the Bamiyan Buddha, have evidenced that everybody has to help the cultural property of each nation, overall the poorest, to be assessed and enhanced, in way to defend it and promote tourist circuits.

    These tasks can be carried out only if the circumstances and the problems which have characterized the history and culture of the single countries are held in consideration.

    The loss of international historical memory is also supported by activities of organized crime, always more well-rooted in the arts traffic, due to the lack of specific laws, attention from media and integrated studies about the defence of cultural properties.

    The aim of "Mediterraneum. Tutela e valorizzazione dei beni culturali ed ambientali" is to contribute to fill some of these gaps and to offer opportunity of reflection and study by an interdisciplinary approach to recognize the suitable means for the conservation of cultural goods.

    The increase in the awakening and interest about this subject from readings not specialist, not followed by an adequate scientific diffusion, let the monography to be understood by a broad public with the aim to give a wide echo to the accusation of omissions or abuses on national or international cultural properties.

    The first among these studies is an essay about the protection of cultural goods in Italy, which is a nation in the vanguard as compared to the other European countries, thanks both to a precise and complete law dating 1939 and to the creation of the first Ministry of Cultural Goods and Environment. Unfortunately, it did not manage to determine an effective to preserve and enhance the richest and most various cultural property in the world.