Religious heritage can act as a transmitter of the age-old values linked to the identity of a territory, while reflecting on the relationship between the religious value and the monumental value of a place. This reflection is based on the initial premise that at present there are elements related to the architectural heritage of the church that have wholly or in part lost their use value as places of worship. After introducing the relationship between tangible and intangible heritage at religious sites and the role of tourism helping in the preservation (or not) of these values, the current situation is analyzed through a case study. The case study is focused on the Catalonia Sacra project and analyses 325 religious heritage sites from the region of Catalonia, in the northeast of Spain. Several sets of data were collected referring to the monumental and architectural values of these places and also the religious use of them, among others, with the aim to compare the relationship between the monumental values and the religious use of these sites.

Resumen: Este artículo analiza el papel de los monasterios como espacio sagrado y cómo su relación con el turismo perfila un paisaje de "buen gusto". Los monasterios son un ejemplo de convergencia entre patrimonio tangible y patrimonio intangible. Son espacios construidos altamente simbólicos que han actuado en muchos casos como guardianes de la tradición. Al mismo tiempo, están claramente arraigados a un territorio y un paisaje, que ha condicionado su desarrollo. Los monasterios eran unidades autosuficientes que obtenían lo que necesitaban de su entorno. Por eso, por ejemplo, elaboraban su propio vino, tan necesario para el rito litúrgico, o preparaban conservas para mantener durante más tiempo los productos frescos que cultivaban. Poner en valor los monasterios a través de la gastronomía puede ser una herramienta para mejorar la experiencia del visitante turista, en la medida que se lleve a cabo respetando los valores representados por estos espacios sagrados. Este documento explora esta relación a partir de una revisión de la literatura que ha tratado los monasterios como espacios sagrados, la relación entre el patrimonio tangible e intangible, y la vinculación de estos espacios y patrimonio con el turismo. Esta búsqueda de información se ejemplifica con algunos casos españoles.Palabras clave: Monasterios. Paisaje. Turismo. Gastronomía. Turismo religioso.

This research aims to better understand the circumstances of museums in times of Covid-19 and investigate the reopening of museums as physical spaces for visitors’ experience. The influence of visitors’ socio-demographic and tripographic characteristics on visitor behavior, safety measures implemented by museums, and visitation experience were examined in two major art museums in Catalonia (Spain): the Dalí-Theatre Museum and the Picasso Museum. Participants (879) were selected following systematic random sampling at the museum exit gates. A quantitative analysis of the data was performed using Pearson and ANOVA and the participants’ profiles presented. Findings indicate significant relationships between visitors’ characteristics and visitor behavior, safety measures and visitation experience, with place of residence showing a positive influence on all three. Museums complied with specific safety regulations due to Covid-19, and in this context, the findings revealed that visitors slightly changed their visitor behavior in museums. Most visitors positively evaluated the key aspects of museum management relating to health and safety and social distancing. Age, nationality, and personal experience were found to influence visitor behavior in museums. Specific effects of each characteristic are further analyzed. Theoretical and practical implications and suggestions for future research studies are also discussed. Marketing activities will benefit from knowing, in detail, the visitors’ characteristics- information that can be used to target niches. Finally, the cultural industry has a social function and supporting the digitalization of museum organizations is crucial to the dissemination of culture.