The course aims to provide the necessary knowledge on the current Italian legislation on cultural heritage, offering a framework of the same in the light of constitutional, European and international principles. Starting from an examination of the relationship between art and the legal system in a historical perspective, the course will focus on the implications of constitutional commitments concerning the promotion of culture and science, as well as the protection of the landscape and the historical and artistic heritage. The specific translations of these values in ordinary legislation (in particular in the Cultural Heritage Code) will be the subject of in-depth study, also proposed through the analysis of case studies.