The need for reaction against the continuous destruction of the environment, both natural and architectural, gave birth to the idea of publishing an online magazine; the need for action has created the online magazine MOnuMENTA, which has now set sail in the Internet and claims a place on your screen.

The subject of this new magazine is the protection and the promotion of the natural and the architectural heritage, both included in the word MONUMENTS / MOnuMENTA. The fact that the persons involved in the creation of this magazine live in Greece and Cyprus has defined the geographical boundaries of its material; however, this does not mean that we do not aspire to exceed these boundaries and join our voice with all those who work for the preservation of nature and of the architectural creations, both the major and the humble ones. If we manage to provide objective information, to raise awareness, to trigger involvement and to launch a dialogue and a communication, our goals will be deemed to have been achieved.

The MOnuMENTA magazine will publish a new issue every four months; each issue will present a specific subject, both from the aspect of the natural and from the aspect of the architectural heritage. It will focus mainly on issues related to space, land, and landscape, without excluding issues pertaining to environmental problems in general. The structure of the magazine has been decided after careful consideration, so as to secure an integrated and diverse approach. Each issue will be updated and enriched on a constant basis, since the discussion of a subject can never be concluded. In other words, even though a new issue will be regularly released, we shall keep adding material to the previous ones. The contents of our magazine are divided into two main sections. One is the Columns Related to the Specific Subject of each issue and the other comprises the Permanent Columns.

As far as the Columns Related to the Specific Subject are concerned, the Compositions present the reasons and the positions that led to the selection of the specific subject. The Approaches include articles that express diverse and different approaches on the same subject. Our quest is for modern and free points of view. The Glances in the World section presents aspects of the same subject abroad. As it is our belief that monuments are not confined in boundaries and that heritage belongs to all, we try to find out what is going on elsewhere, too. The Intangible Elements section hosts interviews, mostly with people that have spent most of their lives dealing with the specific subject of the issue. Our aim is to preserve their testimony, as well as to show their experience. There will also be interviews with people causing or suffering a problem, always in relation to the natural, the historic and the built environment. We consider communication and information to be the first stage of the protection process; therefore, the sections titled Routes and Unknown Monuments will carry the reader, the Internet user, to “voyages” to monuments, either well known or unknown. The aim of such a “voyage” is the approach to, the thought of, and the intercourse with beauty, with authenticity, with small details, with the causes of threat and damage, with things that our haste passes by; the intercourse with the monuments that need us to give them our time. The Principles in Words section bring to the fore texts, principles, international charters and conventions pertaining to protection and sound management. Principles and Words show that, before us or at the same time with us, other people, too, have considered these issues, other people, too, have acted. The translation of such texts into Greek will be MOnuMENTA’s small contribution to their promotion and dissemination. Finally, the Artistic Views section presents views expressed by artists in their work, either literary, visual or music, always in relation to the specific subject of the issue, the ultimate goal being to trigger their involvement in the efforts for the protection of MONUMENTS. The word voiced by the people of the intellectual world is capable of reversing situations.

Besides About us, Activities, News and Publications, the Permanent Columns include the Monuments at Risk section, where the floor is given to the Monuments themselves. The hostility monuments face is unbelievable. Therefore, MOnuMENTA presents and denounces cases of monuments that are threatened by indifference, abandonment or intention and hosts well documented texts by readers who are aware of such cases. Through this column MOnuMENTA tries to raise awareness among competent authorities and citizens for the preservation of monuments. The specific subject of each issue will also function as the framework for taking action and organizing events that contribute to the fulfillment of the magazine’s goals.

These are, in general, the thoughts and the views of the team that has created the MOnuMENTA magazine. However, we would like to highlight two more points. Our magazine is in the process of shaping its identity, the ways and the course it will follow. We believe that the first issue, dedicated to urban space and urban green space, illustrates, most of all, this quest. The magazine is open to everyone; it is open to participation, cooperation, suggestions, and criticism, in order to reach its goal, i.e. to contribute to the protection of the natural and the architectural heritage in Greece and Cyprus.

MONUMENTA, a valuable asset, whose protection should be an integral element of people’s life in modern society. Instead, though, this asset is in a constantly growing and ever threatening danger… We aspire that the voice of our magazine will be disseminated and, through an intellectual and emotional process, will contribute not only to the safeguarding of this asset but also to the establishment of the true relationship and intercourse we ought to have with all that constitute our living environment.

2.3.2007