The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik

The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik (1431-1535), on the Dalmatian coast, bears witness to the considerable exchanges in the field of monumental arts between Northern Italy, Dalmatia and Tuscany in the 15th and 16th centuries. The three architects who succeeded one another in the construction of the Cathedral - Francesco di Giacomo, Georgius Mathei Dalmaticus and Niccolò di Giovanni Fiorentino - developed a structure built entirely from stone and using unique construction techniques for the vaulting and the dome of the Cathedral. The form and the decorative elements of the Cathedral, such as a remarkable frieze decorated with 71 sculptured faces of men, women, and children, also illustrate the successful fusion of Gothic and Renaissance art.

 Croatia

County of Šibenik-Knin

N43 44 10.644 E15 53 25.368

Date of Inscription: 2000

Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)

Property : 0.10 ha 

Buffer zone: 15 ha

Ref: 963

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal

The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (1158-60, 1185-89);

These two artistic centres in central Russia hold an important place in the country's architectural history. There are a number of magnificent 12th- and 13th-century public and religious buildings, above all the masterpieces of the Collegiate Church of St Demetrios and the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin.

• The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (1158-60, 1185-89);
• The Golden Gate in Vladimir (1158-64, with later modifications);
• The Cathedral of Saint Demetrius in Vladimir (1194-97);
• The castle of Andrew the Pious in Bogolyubovo (1158-65, with later modifications);
• The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl in Bogolyubovo (1165);
• The Suzdal Kremlin with the Cathedral of the Nativity (1222-25, built into the 16th century);
• The Monastery of Saint Euthymius in Suzdal (mostly 16th century);
• The Church of Boris and Gleb in Kideksha (1152, with later modifications).

 Russian Federation

Vladimir region

N56 8 60 E40 25 0

Date of Inscription: 1992

Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)

Ref: 633

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Wartburg Castle

Wartburg Castle blends superbly into its forest surroundings and is in many ways 'the ideal castle'. Although it has retained some original sections from the feudal period, the form it acquired during the 19th-century reconstitution gives a good idea of what this fortress might have been at the height of its military and seigneurial power. It was during his exile at Wartburg Castle that Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German.

 Germany

Eisenach, State of Thuringia (Thüringen)

N50 58 0.4 E10 18 25.2

Date of Inscription: 1999

Criteria: (iii)(vi)

Ref: 897

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park lies in the heart of California. With its 'hanging' valleys, many waterfalls, cirque lakes, polished domes, moraines and U-shaped valleys, it provides an excellent overview of all kinds of granite relief fashioned by glaciation. At 600–4,000 m, a great variety of flora and fauna can also be found here.

 United States of America

California

N37 44 46 W119 35 48

Date of Inscription: 1984

Criteria: (vii)(viii)

Property : 308,283 ha 

Ref: 308

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

The Forth Bridge

This railway bridge, spanning the estuary of the Forth River in Scotland, was the world’s earliest great multispan cantilever bridge, and at 2,529 m remains one of the longest. It opened in 1890 and continues to carry passengers and freight. Its distinctive industrial aesthetic is the result of a forthright and unadorned display of its structural components. Innovative in style, materials and scale, the Forth Bridge is an important milestone in bridge design and construction during the period when railways came to dominate long-distance land travel.

 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

N56 00 04 W3 23 20

N56 0 4 W3 23 20

Date of Inscription: 2015

Criteria: (i)(iv)

Property : 7.50 ha 

Ref: 1485

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Costiera Amalfitana

The Amalfi coast is an area of great physical beauty and natural diversity. It has been intensively settled by human communities since the early Middle Ages. There are a number of towns such as Amalfi and Ravello with architectural and artistic works of great significance. The rural areas show the versatility of the inhabitants in adapting their use of the land to the diverse nature of the terrain, which ranges from terraced vineyards and orchards on the lower slopes to wide upland pastures.

 Italy

Province of Salerno, Campania

N40 38 60 E14 35 60

Date of Inscription: 1997

Criteria: (ii)(iv)(v)

Property : 11,231 ha 

Ref: 830

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

La Grand-Place, Brussels

La Grand-Place in Brussels is a remarkably homogeneous body of public and private buildings, dating mainly from the late 17th century. The architecture provides a vivid illustration of the level of social and cultural life of the period in this important political and commercial centre.

 Belgium

City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region

N50 50 48.048 E4 21 8.712

Date of Inscription: 1998

Criteria: (ii)(iv)

Property : 1.48 ha 

Buffer zone: 21 ha

Ref: 857

Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/857

Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville

The Cathedral and  Archivo de Indias in Seville

Puerta del León (Lion Gate) of Alcazar Real

Together these three buildings form a remarkable monumental complex in the heart of Seville. The cathedral and the Alcázar – dating from the Reconquest of 1248 to the 16th century and imbued with Moorish influences – are an exceptional testimony to the civilization of the Almohads as well as that of Christian Andalusia. The Giralda minaret is the masterpiece of Almohad architecture. It stands next to the cathedral with its five naves; the largest Gothic building in Europe, it houses the tomb of Christopher Columbus. The ancient Lonja, which became the Archivo de Indias, contains valuable documents from the archives of the colonies in the Americas.

• Cathedral Seville
• Alcazar
• Archivo de Indias

 Spain

Province of Seville, Autonomous Community of Andalusia

N37 23 1.824 W5 59 29.58

Date of Inscription: 1987

Minor modification inscribed year:2010

Criteria: (i)(ii)(iii)(vi)

Property : 12 ha 

Buffer zone: 187 ha

Ref: 383bis

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Genoa: Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli

Palazzo Reale (Genoa) Stefano Balbi

The Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli in Genoa’s historic centre date from the late 16th and early 17th centuries when the Republic of Genoa was at the height of its financial and seafaring power. The site represents the first example in Europe of an urban development project parcelled out by a public authority within a unitary framework and associated to a particular system of ‘public lodging’ in private residences, as decreed by the Senate in 1576. The site includes an ensemble of Renaissance and Baroque palaces along the so-called ‘new streets’ (Strade Nuove). The Palazzi dei Rolli offer an extraordinary variety of different solutions, achieving universal value in adapting to the particular characteristics of the site and to the requirements of a specific social and economic organization. They also offer an original example of a public network of private residences designated to host state visits.

The 44 Palaces

1. Antonio Doria
2. Clement Della Rovere
3. Giorgio Spinola
4. Tomaso Spinola
5. Giacomo Spinola
6. Augustine Ayrolo
7. Paolo e Nicolò Interiano
8. Agostino Pallavicini
9. Pantaleo Spinola
10. Franco Lercari
11. Tobia Pallavicini
12. Angelo Giovanni Spinola
13. Gio Battista Spinola
14. Nicolosio Lomellino
15. Lazzaro and Giacomo Spinola
16. Nicolò Grimaldi
17. Baldassarre Lomellini
18. Luca Grimaldi
19. Rodolfo and Francesco Brignole Sale
20. Gerolamo Grimaldi
21. Gio Carlo Brignole
22. Bartholomew Lomellini
23. Stefano Lomellini
24. Giacomo Lomellini and Cattaneo De Marini
25. Antoniotto Cattaneo
26. G. Agostino Balbi
27. Gio Francesco Balbi
28. Giocomo and Pantaleo Balbi
29. Francesco Balbi Piovera
30. Stefano Balbi
31. Cosma Centurione
32. Giorgio Centurione
33. Gio Battista Centurione
34. Cipriano Pallavicini
35. Nicolò Spinola
36. Francesco Grimaldi
37. Gio Battista Grimaldi
38. Stefano De Mari
39. Ambrose De Nigro
40. Emanuele Filiberto Di Negro
41. Croce De Marini

 Italy

Liguria Region, Genoa Province

N44 24 44 E8 55 52

Date of Inscription: 2006

Criteria: (ii)(iv)

Property : 16 ha 

Buffer zone: 113 ha

Ref: 1211

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Tusi Sites

Site of Tangya Tusi Domain

Located in the mountainous areas of south-west China, this property encompasses remains of several tribal domains whose chiefs were appointed by the central government as ‘Tusi’, hereditary rulers from the 13th to the early 20thcentury. The Tusi system arose from the ethnic minorities’ dynastic systems of government dating back to the 3rd century BCE. Its purpose was to unify national administration, while allowing ethnic minorities to retain their customs and way of life. The sites of Laosicheng, Tangya and Hailongtun Fortress that make up the site bear exceptional testimony to this form of governance, which derived from the Chinese civilization of the Yuan and Ming periods.

• 1474-001 - Site of Laosicheng Tusi Domain
• 1474-002 - Site of Tangya Tusi Domain
• 1474-003 - Site of Hailongtun Tusi Fortress

 China

N28 59 55 E109 58 1

Date of Inscription: 2015

Criteria: (ii)(iii)

Property : 781 ha 

Buffer zone: 3,125 ha

Ref: 1474

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Longobards in Italy. Places of the Power (568-774 A.D.)

The Tempietto Longobardo. of  Cividale del Friuli (Province of Udine)

The Longobards in Italy, Places of Power, 568 - 774 A.D. comprises seven groups of important buildings (including fortresses, churches, and monasteries) throughout the Italian Peninsula. They testify to the high achievement of the Lombards, who migrated from northern Europe and developed their own specific culture in Italy where they ruled over vast territories in the 6th to 8th centuries. The Lombards synthesis of architectural styles marked the transition from Antiquity to the European Middle Ages, drawing on the heritage of Ancient Rome, Christian spirituality, Byzantine influence and Germanic northern Europe. The serial property testifies to the Lombards' major role in the spiritual and cultural development of Medieval European Christianity, notably by bolstering the monastic movement.

• Cividale del Friuli (Province of Udine)
• Brescia
• Castelseprio (Province of Varese)
• Spoleto (Province of Perugia)
• Campello sul Clitunno (Province of Perugia)
• Benevento
• Monte Sant'Angelo (Province of Foggia)

 Italy

N46 5 39 E13 25 59

Date of Inscription: 2011

Criteria: (ii)(iii)(vi)

Property : 14 ha 

Buffer zone: 306 ha

Ref: 1318

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Hallstatt-Dachstein / Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape

Human activity in the magnificent natural landscape of the Salzkammergut began in prehistoric times, with the salt deposits being exploited as early as the 2nd millennium BC. This resource formed the basis of the area’s prosperity up to the middle of the 20th century, a prosperity that is reflected in the fine architecture of the town of Hallstatt.

 Austria

States of Upper Austria, Styria and Salzburg

N47 33 34 E13 38 47

Date of Inscription: 1997

Criteria: (iii)(iv)

Property : 28,446 ha 

Buffer zone: 20,014 ha

Ref: 806

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Białowieża Forest

Belarus Postcard of Białowieża Forest

The Białowieża Forest World Heritage site, on the border between Poland and Belarus, is an immense range of primary forest including both conifers and broadleaved trees covering a total area of 141,885 hectares. Situated on the watershed of the Baltic Sea and Black Sea, this transboundary property is exceptional for the opportunities it offers for biodiversity conservation. It is home to the largest population of the property’s iconic species, the European bison.

 Belarus

 Poland

N52 43 39 E23 58 52

Date of Inscription: 1979

Extension: 1992,2014

Criteria: (ix)(x)

Ref: 33ter

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Keoladeo National Park

This former duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. Some 364 species of birds, including the rare Siberian crane, have been recorded in the park.

 India

State of Rajasthan, 50 km west of Agra

N27 9 32 E77 30 31

Date of Inscription: 1985

Criteria: (x)

Property : 2,873 ha 

Ref: 340

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks

Nestled high in West Himalaya, India’s Valley of Flowers National Park is renowned for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and outstanding natural beauty. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown bear and blue sheep. The gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park. Together they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya, praised by mountaineers and botanists for over a century and in Hindu mythology for much longer.

 India

State of Uttaranchal

N30 43 0.012 E79 40 0.012

Date of Inscription: 1988

Extension: 2005

Criteria: (vii)(x)

Property : 71,783 ha 

Buffer zone: 514,286 ha

Ref: 335bis

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia

Aquileia (in Friuli-Venezia Giulia), one of the largest and wealthiest cities of the Early Roman Empire, was destroyed by Attila in the mid-5th century. Most of it still lies unexcavated beneath the fields, and as such it constitutes the greatest archaeological reserve of its kind. The patriarchal basilica, an outstanding building with an exceptional mosaic pavement, played a key role in the evangelization of a large region of central Europe.

 Italy

Province of Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region

N45 46 6 E13 22 3

Date of Inscription: 1998

Criteria: (iii)(iv)(vi)

Property : 155 ha 

Ref: 825

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining

Former Glover House 

The site encompasses a series of twenty three component parts, mainly located in the southwest of Japan. It bears testimony to the rapid industrialization of the country from the middle of the 19th century to the early 20th century, through the development of the steel industry, shipbuilding and coal mining. The site illustrates the process by which feudal Japan sought technology transfer from Europe and America from the middle of the 19th century and how this technology was adapted to the country’s needs and social traditions. The site testifies to what is considered to be the first successful transfer of Western industrialization to a non-Western nation.

• Yamaguchi: Hagi
• Hagi reverberatory furnace 
• Ebisugahana shipyard
• Ōitayama-tatara iron smelting works
• Shōkasonjuku Academy
• Hagi castle town
• Kagoshima: Kagoshima
• Former Shūseikan
• Shūseikan machine factory 
• Former Kagoshima spinning engineer's residence
• Gionnosu Battery
• Saga: Saga
• Mietsu naval facility site
• Iwate: Kamaishi
• Hashino iron mining and smelting site
• Nagasaki: Nagasaki
• Site of Kosuge ship repair dock
• Hokkei well shaft, Takashima coal mine 
• Hashima coal mine
• Former Glover House 
• Mitsubishi Nagasaki shipyard 
• Yamaguchi: Shimonoseki
• Maeda Battery
• Mutsurejima Lighthouse
• Fukuoka: Ōmuta; Kumamoto: Arao, Uki
• Miyanohara Pit, Miike coal mine
• Miike port and coal mine industrial railway
• Misumi West Port
• Fukuoka: Kitakyūshū
• The State-owned Yawata Steel Works
• Onga River pumping station 

 Japan

N34 25 50 E131 24 44

Date of Inscription: 2015

Criteria: (ii)(iv)

Property : 307 ha 

Buffer zone: 2,408 ha

Ref: 1484

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Site of Xanadu

North of the Great Wall, the Site of Xanadu encompasses the remains of Kublai Khan’s legendary capital city, designed by the Mongol ruler’s Chinese advisor Liu Bingzhdong in 1256. Over a surface area of 25,000 ha, the site was a unique attempt to assimilate the nomadic Mongolian and Han Chinese cultures. From this base, Kublai Khan established the Yuan dynasty that ruled China over a century, extending its boundaries across Asia. The religious debate that took place here resulted in the dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism over north-east Asia, a cultural and religious tradition still practised in many areas today. The site was planned according to traditional Chinese feng shui in relation to the nearby mountains and river. It features the remains of the city, including temples, palaces, tombs, nomadic encampments and the Tiefan’gang Canal, along with other waterworks.

 China

N42 21 28.8 E116 11 6.46

Date of Inscription: 2012

Criteria: (ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)

Property : 25,131 ha 

Buffer zone: 150,722 ha

Ref: 1389

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia

Sala de Contratación (Contract or Trading Hall)

Facade of La Lonja

Built between 1482 and 1533, this group of buildings was originally used for trading in silk (hence its name, the Silk Exchange) and it has always been a centre for commerce. It is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. The grandiose Sala de Contratación (Contract or Trading Hall), in particular, illustrates the power and wealth of a major Mediterranean mercantile city in the 15th and 16th centuries.

 Spain

Province and Autonomous Community of Valencia

N39 28 27.9 E0 22 42.4

Date of Inscription: 1996

Criteria: (i)(iv)

Ref: 782

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

• Sala de Contratacion (The Contract Hall)
• Pavilion of the Consulate
• Tower of La Lonja

Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement

Founded in 1773 in South Jutland, the site is an example of a planned settlement of the Moravian Church, a Lutheran free congregation centred in Herrnhut, Saxony. The town was planned to represent the Protestant urban ideal, constructed around a central Church square. The architecture is homogenous and unadorned, with one and two-storey buildings in yellow brick with red tile roofs. The democratic organization of the Moravian Church, with its pioneering egalitarian philosophy, is expressed in its humanistic town planning. The settlement’s plan opens onto agricultural land and includes important buildings for the common welfare such as large communal houses for the congregation’s widows and unmarried men and women. The buildings are still used by an influential community of the Moravian Church.

 Denmark

N55 21 20 E9 28 53

N55 21 20 E9 28 53

Date of Inscription: 2015

Criteria: (iii)(iv)

Property : 21 ha 

Buffer zone: 385 ha

Ref: 1468

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu

Shuri Castle Site

Five hundred years of Ryukyuan history (12th-17th century) are represented by this group of sites and monuments. The ruins of the castles, on imposing elevated sites, are evidence for the social structure over much of that period, while the sacred sites provide mute testimony to the rare survival of an ancient form of religion into the modern age. The wide- ranging economic and cultural contacts of the Ryukyu Islands over that period gave rise to a unique culture.

• Tamaudun
• Sonohyan-utaki Ishimon
• Nakijin Castle Site 
• Zakimi Castle Site
• Katsuren Castle Site
• Nakagusuku Castle Site
• Shuri Castle Site
• Shikinaen
• Sefa-utaki

 Japan

Okinawa Prefecture

N26 12 31 E127 40 58

Date of Inscription: 2000

Criteria: (ii)(iii)(vi)

Property : 55 ha 

Buffer zone: 560 ha

Ref: 972

Source: http://whc.unesco.org