The paper presents the damage and typological classification for the cultural heritage asset proposed in the PERPETUATE Project funded by the Seventh Framework Programme - Theme ENV.2009.3.2.1.1. The driving ideas of the project are: i) adoption of a performance-based approach for the evaluation of seismic safety of cultural heritage assets and the design of strengthening interventions; ii) identification of proper safety levels considering both conservation and safety issues; iii) minimization of strengthening interventions through increasing knowledge and improving modelling tools. Performance Based Assessment methodology is based on the fulfilment of some target performance levels in correspondence to predefined seismic actions. It generally uses pushover analysis and verification by the capacity spectrum method. In order to define reliable models for pushover analysis and criteria for the performance levels, a classification of both architectonic and artistic assets is proposed in the paper, by considering the corresponding seismic damage modes. On the one hand, such classification allows us to identify the more reliable mechanical models to be used in the description of the seismic response of the different types of buildings and artistic assets; on the other hand, it allows us to define reliable damage variables related to each type of building and main elements of the construction. © 2011 WIT Press.