The contributions of a meeting organized by the Italian National Commission of ICOMOS in Rome, 24-25 May 1989, to discuss the protection and the assessment of the Italian architectural heritage, as well as the action required by the parliament and the government in this regard. The sessions addressed the following topics: cultural heritage policy, introduced by Franco Borsi; the practice of territorial conservation and protection, by Marco Dezzi Bardeschi; economic policy, by Giuseppe Proietti; training, reality, and needs, by Gaetano Miarelli Mariani; legislation, by Pietro Graziani; and conclusions, by Roberto di Stefano.