The International Congress “Heritage, Care and People”

From 27–29 May 2026, the HERIT4AGES project was represented at the International Congress “Heritage, Care and People in a Resilient World: heritage networks as a sustainability strategy”, held in Madrid and organised by the Complutense University of Madrid.

During the event, Fundación Santa María la Real del Patrimonio Histórico presented a scientific poster entitled “Preventive Conservation of Heritage in Living Labs: MHS Monitoring in the HERIT4AGES Project”, showcasing how the Monitoring Heritage System (MHS) supports the sustainable renovation of historic buildings within the project.

The presentation highlighted the role of continuous monitoring in understanding how heritage buildings respond to renovation interventions. Within HERIT4AGES, the MHS system is used to monitor real-time occupancy, environmental conditions such as temperature, relative humidity, lighting and indoor air quality, as well as energy-related parameters including window opening sensors, radiator temperature control and energy consumption in ventilation systems.

The collected data play a dual role. They help evaluate the real performance and efficiency of the solutions developed within HERIT4AGES, while also ensuring that renovation interventions do not create risks or unintended impacts on the historic buildings. Through continuous monitoring and expert interpretation of the results, the system supports informed decision-making and preventive conservation throughout the testing process.

The participation of Fundación Santa María la Real at the congress provided another valuable opportunity to share HERIT4AGES results with the wider heritage community and contribute to ongoing discussions on sustainable heritage management, preventive conservation and resilience.