Fernando Astete in Lugano to talk about the preservation of Machu Picchu

(Copy José Bastante)
(Copy José Bastante)

Institutional Communication Service

18 March 2019

Both UNESCO Chairs of University of Genoa and Università della Svizzera italiana have organised a series of conferences in Lugano and Milan with the aim to promote the preservation and sustainable tourism of the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary. The second conference is dedicated to the history, the future and the development of sustainable tourism of this unique monument of the Amazon Andies. It will be held at USI on 25 March at 12:30 pm in room A34. Special guest will be the renowned anthropologist Fernando Astete, in conversation with architect and anthropologist Adine Gavazzi (also UNESCO Chair for University of Genoa) and USI Pro-rector and digital communication expert Lorenzo Cantoni.

Fernando Astete is considered “the guardian of Machu Picchu", for his commitment and for the authority recognised to him by the scientific world and the local communities. Astete is the author of several articles on the meaning, the construction process and, functions of the monument, and the region’s environment. Among several honours, he has been awarded in 2018 with the "Americanista Distinto” by the 56th International Congress of Americanists. A new species of orchids that was recently discovered in the Machu Picchu Sanctuary was named in his honour.

For more than 30 years Fernando Astete has devoted his life to the preservation, conservation and research of the Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary. He explored and mapped its more than 37,000 hectares, discovering roads, buildings and settlements along with various archaeological sites in the area. Since 1994, Astete has been director of the Park, carrying out his work together with a large interdisciplinary and international group of scientists, researchers and professionals.

 

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