In the last decades there has been a series of transformations and changes in the functional perspective of museums, in accordance to the socio-cultural, economic and political developments of the moment. Museology has updated its principles and beliefs in search of a language closer to the public.

This New Museology looks for and encourages new ideals to combine the natural values offered by the environment with the cultural richness of man in his occupation dynamics of a specific space.

The basic principle behind Ecomuseums is the revalorization, transmission, communication, and preservation as a witness of the past for the present, of a territory with a priviledged and unique natural landscape and cultural heritage, with the obligation of today’s museologists to manage them.

Georges H. Rivière, forerunner of this museistic current, developed and designed the initial settings about Ecomuseums at the end of the 60’s, coincidental with the so called “Romantic Revolution” of May 1968. Experiences were started that later consolidated, like the Natural Park in Les Landes (Gascogny), and the Natural Park at Ouessant, both in France.

El debate sobre las nuevas corrientes museísticas más conocido tuvo lugar con motivo de la IX Conferencia General del ICOM celebrada en París y Grenoble, en 1971, dedicada a las cuestiones sobre "El museo al servicio del hombre. Actualidad y futuro". En este acto, se hizo una crítica total, no tan solo a los espacios museísticos de aquel momento y a su contenido, sino también a la justificación de esas entidades en tanto que son medios de comunicación, educación, concienciación y fondos de cultura.

The best known debate on the new museum currents took place with the 9th ICOM General Conference, held in Paris and Grenoble in 1971, on subjects such as "The Museum at Man’s Service. Reality and Future ". In this event, a complete criticism was made, not only to the museums of that time and their contents, but also to the justification of those entities as means of communication, education and awareness, and as cultural depositories.

In this congress the conclusion was drawn that museums could not stand as the only witness to past or current civilizations. Museum’s sacralization has closed for many years the possibility of a truly revealing dimension of the chronological evolution of the living creatures and humankind.

We cannot forget that what is really interesting to see is the cultural assets in its own original place. Material heritage cannot be separated from its originating space.

Since the seventies, behaviours ruling the museum model have changed. The museum starts to adopt new forms that will allow it to become an educational organ, ready to replace the mere observation of objects as “works of art” to become a mean to know and raise awareness.

Also, the museum will look for ways of management that grant a larger economic independence, as well as manners to involve itself in the local sphere to become a new and dynamic tool to develop the territory where it is located.