IGESPAR resulted from a fusion of the Instituto Português do Património Arquitetónico (IPPAR) and the Instituto Português de Arqueologia (IPA), while integrating many of the functions of the Direcção Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGEMN) which had been active in the conservation and rehabilitation of the country's architectural treasures.

Archival material, that until then were held by the DGEMN, were transferred to Instituto de Habitação e Reabilitação Urbana (Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation) of the Ministério do Ambiente (Ministry of the Environment), the department of Ordenamento do Território e do Desenvolvimento Regional (Spatial Planning and Regional Development), under the auspices of the SIPA - Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico (Architectural Heritage Information System) on 30 May 2007.

Until 2010, over 3000 properties within the territory were inventoried and classified by the institution, in addition 13 have been promoted to UNESCO World Heritage sites, 2000 to Imóveis de Interesse Público (Properties of Public Interest), 800 to status of Monumento Nacional (National Monuments) and 450 classified as municipal sites of public interest.

In 2012, following the promulgation of a decree, the Direção–Geral do Patrimônio Cultural (DGCP) was instituted, through the fusing of the IGESPAR, the Instituto dos Museus e Conservação (IMC IP) (Institute of Museums and Conservation) and Direção Regional de Cultura de Lisboa o Vale do Tejo (DRCLVT) (Lisboa e Vale do Tejo Regional Directorate of Culture).

[1] DGPC is a Directorate-General, under the auspices of the Ministério da Cultura (Ministry of Culture), with responsibilities for the architectural and archaeological heritage.