As already mentioned before, Attempts to establish an unambiguous definition of a monument have been made many times. All definitions formulated so far have taken into account in the concept of a monument mainly its historical value. This feature is important, but not exclusive. In addition, when qualifying a monument, its value from the scientific and artistic point of view is taken into account.
The concept of historical value includes factors representing specific stages of development of human creativity. The.scientific value is determined by the documentary character of the work. The artistic aspect is presented by a set of values resulting from the assessment of the work due to the origin and development of the form, and also the content, the scope and degree of artistic impact. Scientific and artistic values set contemporary criteria in this area, according to new scientific achievements and resulting from new concepts and judgments in the field of aesthetics and art Historical values, scientific or artistic works may occur individually or simultaneously in a monument, what happens most often.
Within the meaning of the Act of 1962 r. A monument “is any movable or immovable object, ancient or contemporary, significant for heritage and cultural development because of its historical value, scientific or artistic.
According to the above definition, monuments may include all works and movable objects of unique or extremely rare significance, that are of great importance to the nation's cultural heritage or of significant historical significance. They can be: works of fine arts, collections and collections, historical memorabilia, library and archival materials, objects and works related to ideals or beliefs, and the activities of eminent personalities.
In turn, they can be classified as immovable monuments: works of construction, architecture and urbanism, ethnographic objects, archaeological, paleontological, objects of technology and material culture, parks and gardens, rare specimens of living and dead nature. The common feature of these objects is their permanent connection with the area.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, other movable and immovable objects of specific value may be included in monuments.
As can be seen from the above comments, the works of man can be included as monuments, as well as a product of nature, or both, if their value is an important component of culture and can contribute to the cultural development of society.
When it comes to construction and architecture objects, the term monument will refer primarily to these objects, which are characteristic examples of a particular architectural style, they illustrate the degree of structural development, technology or industry of the past eras. The monuments of urban planning include these, which had a significant impact in a given epoch or cultural region on the development of spatial forms, and, which are an example of traditional forms of settlement threatened with extinction.
The Venice Charter the problem of architectural monuments, architecture and urban planning as follows:
“The concept of a monument includes both an isolated architectural work, as well as urban and rural complexes and places that bear witness to individual civilizations, major evolution or historical event. It extends not only to great works, but also for modest objects, which over time have acquired cultural significance".
The basic group of architectural monuments of brick construction will be individual objects with their decoration and surroundings, of great value to the history of art and culture (np. palaces, locks, sacred buildings, etc.), architectural and construction complexes of particular importance for the history of the nation and its culture (np. complex of buildings on the Wawel Hill), urban layouts of exceptional importance characteristic of a certain era, structure and architectural shape (np. old town ensemble in Krakow, city and fortress in Zamość).
Buildings and constructions not of particular artistic value may also be included as monuments, but of great importance to history, building science and technology, especially objects of high cognitive value and contributing to the documentation of tradition in technology (np.: bridges, fortifications, industrial and economic buildings, archaeological reserves). A separate group of monuments may be buildings or assumptions, which in the consciousness of society are associated with specific historical facts or events (np. permanent ruins of castles, temples or buildings commemorating the places of struggle and martyrdom of the nation).
Some monuments of exceptional importance for national culture or of great artistic value, or commemorating historical events of particular importance, can be classified as historical monuments (np. Wawel Royal Castle, palace in Wilanów).