Carmen Añón (Spain) is one of the most influential figures in the fields of landscape architecture, cultural landscape conservation, and heritage management. Trained as a landscape architect, she has devoted her career to the restoration, protection, and interpretation of cultural landscapes and historic gardens, helping to establish international standards and methodologies that continue to guide heritage conservation worldwide.

Internationally recognised for her leadership, Carmen has held numerous prominent positions within ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), including serving as President of the ICOMOS-IFLA International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes, of which she is now Honorary President. She also served as President of the ICOMOS International Consultative Committee, Vice-President of the Spanish National Committee of ICOMOS, and was a member of the Executive Committee of the organisation. As a specialist advisor, she coordinated expert missions for the evaluation of cultural landscapes nominated for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List and served for four years as a member of the World Heritage Committee.

A pioneer in the recognition of landscape as cultural heritage, Carmen was one of the signatories of the Florence Charter, the landmark international charter on the conservation of historic gardens. Throughout her career, she has consistently advocated for an integrated approach that brings together landscape architecture, heritage conservation, ecology, and cultural values.

Alongside her professional and institutional achievements, Carmen has made an outstanding contribution to education and capacity building. She has organised and led courses, seminars, and training programmes for universities and specialist institutions across Europe and beyond, including the Catholic University of Leuven, ICCROM, the École Nationale Supérieure du Paysage in Versailles, and universities in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Mexico, and Argentina. She has also participated in more than 200 international conferences, congresses, and seminars, sharing her expertise with professionals and students worldwide.

An accomplished author and researcher, Carmen has published extensively on landscape architecture, cultural landscapes, historic gardens, and heritage management. Her books, articles, and academic papers have contributed significantly to international scholarship and professional practice.

In recognition of her exceptional achievements, she has received numerous prestigious honours, including the Piero Gazzola Prize from ICOMOS, the Cruz de Oficial de Isabel la Católica (Spain), and the Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite (France), among many other international distinctions. She is also an honorary member of several leading academic and cultural institutions, including the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno in Florence.

Through her lifelong dedication to cultural landscapes, heritage conservation, education, and international cooperation, Carmen Añón has left an enduring legacy that has profoundly influenced both landscape architecture and heritage practice across Europe and around the world.