In 1971, ICOMOS, in conjunction with the historical section of the International Federation of Landscape Architects, organized the first symposium of its kind on the conservation and revitalization of historical gardens defined as living monuments. The aim of the conference was to have the 34 experts coming from 14 different countries of Europe and Japan outline the problems encountered in their different specialties in order to define a direction for further research. A first inventory was drawn, and papers were presented on the following subjects: dangers which threaten those gardens and could cause their destruction; the problems faced by large private gardens; fiscal laws that protect French historic gardens; particular problems of conservation in Spain, Great Britain, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, the USSR; the decoration and lighting of historic gardens and an in-depth study of the Versailles park. A list of recommendations was adopted and urgent wishes expressed.