University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia

University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia

Situated on a hill overlooking the city, the University of Coimbra with its colleges grew and evolved over more than seven centuries within the old town. Notable university buildings include the 12th century Cathedral of Santa Cruz and a number of 16th century colleges,  the Royal Palace of Alcáçova, which has housed the University since 1537, the Joanine Library with its rich baroque decor, the 18th century Botanical Garden and University Press, as well as the large “University City” created during the 1940s. The University’s edifices became a reference in the development of other institutions of higher education in the Portuguese-speaking world where it also exerted a major influence on learning and literature. Coimbra offers an outstanding example of an integrated university city with a specific urban typology as well as its own ceremonial and cultural traditions that have been kept alive through the ages.

 Portugal

N40 12 28.12 W8 25 32.79

Date of Inscription: 2013

Criteria: (ii)(iv)(vi)

Property : 35.5 ha

Buffer zone: 81.5 ha

Ref: 1387

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar

Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar

The city of Oporto, built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the Douro river, is an outstanding urban landscape with a 2,000-year history. Its continuous growth, linked to the sea (the Romans gave it the name Portus, or port), can be seen in the many and varied monuments, from the cathedral with its Romanesque choir, to the neoclassical Stock Exchange and the typically Portuguese Manueline-style Church of Santa Clara.

 Portugal

Northern region

N41 8 30 W8 37 0

Date of Inscription: 1996

Criteria: (iv)

Ref: 755

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon

 Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon

Standing at the entrance to Lisbon harbour, the Monastery of the Hieronymites – construction of which began in 1502 – exemplifies Portuguese art at its best. The nearby Tower of Belém, built to commemorate Vasco da Gama's expedition, is a reminder of the great maritime discoveries that laid the foundations of the modern world.

Portugal

City of Lisbon

N38 41 30.984 W9 12 56.988

Date of Inscription: 1983

Minor modification inscribed year: 2008

Criteria: (iii)(vi)

Property : 2.66 ha

Buffer zone: 103 ha

Ref: 263bis 

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Cultural Landscape of Sintra

 Cultural Landscape of Sintra

In the 19th century Sintra became the first centre of European Romantic architecture. Ferdinand II turned a ruined monastery into a castle where this new sensitivity was displayed in the use of Gothic, Egyptian, Moorish and Renaissance elements and in the creation of a park blending local and exotic species of trees. Other fine dwellings, built along the same lines in the surrounding serra , created a unique combination of parks and gardens which influenced the development of landscape architecture throughout Europe.

Portugal

Sintra/Serra

N38 46 59.988 W9 25 0.012

Date of Inscription: 1995

Criteria: (ii)(iv)(v)

Property : 946 ha

Buffer zone: 3,641 ha

Ref: 723

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Alto Douro Wine Region

Brief Description

Wine has been produced by traditional landholders in the Alto Douro region for some 2,000 years. Since the 18th century, its main product, port wine, has been world famous for its quality. This long tradition of viticulture has produced a cultural landscape of outstanding beauty that reflects its technological, social and economic evolution.

Portugal

Douro Region, Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro

N41 6 6 W7 47 56

Date of Inscription: 2001

Criteria: (iii)(iv)(v)

Property : 24,600 ha

Buffer zone: 225,400 ha

Ref: 1046

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Historic Centre of Guimarães

Brief Description

The historic town of Guimarães is associated with the emergence of the Portuguese national identity in the 12th century. An exceptionally well-preserved and authentic example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town, its rich building typology exemplifies the specific development of Portuguese architecture from the 15th to 19th century through the consistent use of traditional building materials and techniques.

Portugal

Province of Minho, District of Braga

N41 26 26.988 W8 17 41.352

Date of Inscription: 2001

Criteria: (ii)(iii)(iv)

Property : 16 ha

Buffer zone: 45 ha

Ref: 1031

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

 

Garrison Border Town of Elvas and its Fortifications

Brief Description

The site, extensively fortified from the 17^th to 19^th centuries, represents the largest bulwarked dry-ditch system in the world. Within its walls, the town contains barracks and other military buildings as well as churches and monasteries. While Elvas contains remains dating back to the 10th century ad, its fortification began when Portugal regained independence in 1640. The fortifications designed by Dutch Jesuit padre Cosmander represent the best surviving example of the Dutch school of fortifications anywhere. The site also contains the Amoreira aqueduct, built to enable the stronghold to withstand lengthy sieges.

Portugal

N38 52 50.23 W7 9 47.96

Date of Inscription: 2012

Criteria: (iv)

Property : 179 ha

Buffer zone: 608 ha

Ref: 1367

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

 

Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores

A Beautiful Postcard from Ulla Bonora, send from France:: Through FB SWAP: Thank you very Much

Brief Description

Situated on one of the islands in the Azores archipelago, this was an obligatory port of call from the 15th century until the advent of the steamship in the 19th century. The 400-year-old San Sebastião and San João Baptista fortifications are unique examples of military architecture. Damaged by an earthquake in 1980, Angra is now being restored.

 

Portugal

Région autonome des Açores

N38 39 18 W27 13 12

Date of Inscription: 1983

Criteria: (iv)(vi)

Ref: 206

Source: http://whc.unesco.org