Heritage and well-being: Therapeutic places past and present.

Abstract

Ancient sites such as Stonehenge, UK, and Santiago de Compostela, Spain, have long been directly associated with healing and the promotion of well-being. It is a dimension of heritage that continues into the present day. This chapter contextualizes public perceptions and aspirational public policies in relation to heritage and well-being by reviewing the development of interest in therapeutic places, and summarizing the achievements of projects that promoted physical and mental well-being through access to heritage landscapes, encounters with museum collections, participation in archaeological fieldwork, and journeys around ancient monuments. Three dimensions are common to many successful projects: the idea of journeying; structured engagements between people and places; and the opportunities offered for human interaction and making sense of empirical experiences.