El centro histórico como categoría patrimonial: evolución conceptual hacia una perspectiva integral y sostenible

The article aims to analyze the epistemological construction and consolidation of the concept of the historic center as a fundamental category within cultural heritage studies and urban planning. A documentary-analytical study was conducted, based on a systematic review of specialized literature, documents issued by international organizations, and heritage charters. The analysis, focused on a diachronic deconstruction of the term, contrasted its initial architectural interpretations with contemporary social, symbolic, and functional dimensions. A conceptual transition was identified from a monument-centered and isolated perspective, predominant in the early twentieth century, toward a comprehensive and dynamic understanding. This contemporary paradigm defines the historic center as a living cultural landscape whose heritage value encompasses attributes of authenticity, integrity, social significance, and the capacity to foster sustainable development. The study concludes that the historic center is a theoretically constructed heritage category whose meaning has expanded beyond the physical and architectural dimensions of the built environment. Its current understanding requires a holistic approach that reconciles the conservation of tangible historical heritage with the safeguarding of traditional uses, collective memory, and urban functionality.