Legislative Decree 22 January 2004, n. 42 Code of cultural and landscape heritage, pursuant to article 10 of the law of 6 July 2002, no. 137.

This Legislative Decree provides the Italian national code for the protection of cultural and landscape heritage (environmental heritage).
This text declares that the Italian Republic shall protect the cultural heritage, also with the aim of contributing to the preservation of memory of the national community and of its territory, among the objective of overall promotion and development of culture in general. The protection consists in the exercise of functions and discipline of direct activities, on the basis of adequate cognitive activity, aimed to identify the assets constituting the cultural heritage and to guarantee its protection and conservation.
Article 142 (paragraph 1, sections c, d, e, f, g) states that rivers, streams, waterways, mountains, glaciers, national and regional parks, and forest areas are also subject to protective measures.