The Cultural Observatory is a recent phenomenon which has arisen as a response to the challenges posed by the information and knowledge-based society.

The aims of the cultural observatories are the observation, systemization and treatment of information from the cultural sector, a deepening of the analysis of the reality of each community, and the search for and diffusion of information which contributes to visualising the impact of cultural phenomena and predicting future scenarios.

In order to carry out these objectives, maps must be produced to forward understanding and the situation of cultural infrastructure and events. The model of the cultural map within the sphere of the cultural observatories is, then, a fundamental tool for mediation, analysis and evaluation of present and future cultural policies.