This article analyses the simultaneous process of the institutionalization of heritage and of restoration, in the light of the main socio-historical and legislative changes that have occurred in the 20th and 21st centuries. These circumstances have determined the profile of today’s restorer, which has had an extraordinary importance within the framework of the cultural heritage. Moreover, they have encouraged a series of changes in the heritage sector, such as the recognition of the ethnological heritage by legislation, the evolution towards immaterial or intangible assets, and the drawing up of inventories of traditional occupations. An understanding of these changes is essential if we are to appreciate the greater importance now given to the restorer as a professional. The confluence of all these factors allows us to construct our study around the figure of the restorer, in contrast to traditional research that concentrates on the object approach.