Old Town of Cáceres

The city's history of battles between Moors and Christians is reflected in its architecture, which is a blend of Roman, Islamic, Northern Gothic and Italian Renaissance styles. Of the 30 or so towers from the Muslim period, the Torre del Bujaco is the most famous.

 Spain

Province of Cáceres, Autonomous Community of Extremadura

N39 28 27.984 W6 22 12

Date of Inscription: 1986

Minor boundary modification inscribed year: 2016

Criteria: (iii)(iv)

Property : 9 ha

Buffer zone: 60.63 ha

Ref: 384bis

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe

The monastery is an outstanding repository of four centuries of Spanish religious architecture. It symbolizes two significant events in world history that occurred in 1492: the Reconquest of the Iberian peninsula by the Catholic Kings and Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas. Its famous statue of the Virgin became a powerful symbol of the Christianization of much of the New World.

 Spain

Province of Cáceres, Autonomous Community of Extremadura

N39 27 10.26 W5 19 39

Date of Inscription: 1993

Criteria: (iv)(vi)

Property : 1.1 ha

Buffer zone: 43.65 ha

Ref: 665

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct

The Roman aqueduct of Segovia, probably built c. A.D. 50, is remarkably well preserved. This impressive construction, with its two tiers of arches, forms part of the setting of the magnificent historic city of Segovia. Other important monuments include the Alcázar, begun around the 11th century, and the 16th-century Gothic cathedral.

 Spain

Province of Segovia, Autonomous Community of Castile-Leon

N40 56 54.5 W4 7 0.3

Date of Inscription: 1985

Minor boundary modification inscribed year: 2015

Criteria: (i)(iii)(iv)

Property : 134.28 ha

Buffer zone: 401.44 ha

Ref: 311bis

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Historic City of Toledo

Historic City of Toledo

Successively a Roman municipium, the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom, a fortress of the Emirate of Cordoba, an outpost of the Christian kingdoms fighting the Moors and, in the 16th century, the temporary seat of supreme power under Charles V, Toledo is the repository of more than 2,000 years of history. Its masterpieces are the product of heterogeneous civilizations in an environment where the existence of three major religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – was a major factor.

 Spain

Province of Toledo, Autonomous Community of Castile-La Mancha

N39 52 0.8 W4 1 45.9

Date of Inscription: 1986

Criteria: (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)

Property : 259.85 ha

Buffer zone: 7,669.28 ha

Ref: 379

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona

Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona

These are two of the finest contributions to Barcelona's architecture by the Catalan art nouveau architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. The Palau de la Música Catalana is an exuberant steel-framed structure full of light and space, and decorated by many of the leading designers of the day. The Hospital de Sant Pau is equally bold in its design and decoration, while at the same time perfectly adapted to the needs of the sick.

 Spain

Province of Barcelona, Autonomous Community of Catalonia

N41 23 16.008 E2 10 30

Date of Inscription: 1997

Minor boundary modification inscribed year: 2008

Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)

Ref: 804bis

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

San Cristóbal de La Laguna

San Cristóbal de La Laguna, in the Canary Islands, has two nuclei: the original, unplanned Upper Town; and the Lower Town, the first ideal 'city-territory' laid out according to philosophical principles. Its wide streets and open spaces have a number of fine churches and public and private buildings dating from the 16th to the 18th century.

 Spain

Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands

N28 28 40.4 W16 18 42.4

Date of Inscription: 1999

Criteria: (ii)(iv)

Property : 60 ha 

Buffer zone: 24 ha

Ref: 929

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Teide National Park

Situated on the island of Tenerife, Teide National Park features the Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcano that, at 3,718 m, is the highest peak on Spanish soil. Rising 7,500 m above the ocean floor, it is regarded as the world’s third-tallest volcanic structure and stands in a spectacular environment. The visual impact of the site is all the greater due to atmospheric conditions that create constantly changing textures and tones in the landscape and a ‘sea of clouds’ that forms a visually impressive backdrop to the mountain. Teide is of global importance in providing evidence of the geological processes that underpin the evolution of oceanic islands.

 Spain

Canary Island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife

N28 16 17 W16 38 37

Date of Inscription: 2007

Criteria: (vii)(viii)

Property : 18,990 ha 

Buffer zone: 54,128 ha

Ref: 1258

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

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

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

Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí

Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí

The narrow Vall de Boí is situated in the high Pyrénées, in the Alta Ribagorça region and is surrounded by steep mountains. Each village in the valley contains a Romanesque church, and is surrounded by a pattern of enclosed fields. There are extensive seasonally-used grazing lands on the higher slopes.

Spain

Province of Lleida, Autonomous Community of Catalonia

N42 30 17 E0 48 13

Date of Inscription: 2000

Criteria: (ii)(iv)

Property : 7.98 ha

Buffer zone: 3,562 ha

Ref: 988

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Poblet Monastery

Poblet Monastery

This Cistercian abbey in Catalonia is one of the largest in Spain. At its centre is a 12th-century church. The austere, majestic monastery, which has a fortified royal residence and contains the pantheon of the kings of Catalonia and Aragon, is an impressive sight.

Spain

Vimbodí, Province of Tarragona, Autonomous Community of Catalonia

N41 22 50.988 E1 4 57

Date of Inscription: 1991

Criteria: (i)(iv)

Property : 18 ha

Buffer zone: 163 ha

Ref: 518rev

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Route of Santiago de Compostela

Route of Santiago de Compostela

Santiago de Compostela was proclaimed the first European Cultural itinerary by the Council of Europe in 1987. This route from the French-Spanish border was – and still is – taken by pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela. Some 1,800 buildings along the route, both religious and secular, are of great historic interest. The route played a fundamental role in encouraging cultural exchanges between the Iberian peninsula and the rest of Europe during the Middle Ages. It remains a testimony to the power of the Christian faith among people of all social classes and from all over Europe.

Spain

Autonomous Communities of Aragon, Navarre, la Rioja, Castile-Leon and Galicia

N42 27 33.012 W5 52 59.988

Date of Inscription: 1993

Criteria: (ii)(iv)(vi)

Ref: 669

 

Source:  http://whc.unesco.org

Vizcaya Bridge

Vizcaya Bridge

Vizcaya Bridge straddles the mouth of the Ibaizabal estuary, west of Bilbao. It was designed by the Basque architect Alberto de Palacio and completed in 1893. The 45-m-high bridge with its span of 160 m, merges 19th-century ironworking traditions with the then new lightweight technology of twisted steel ropes. It was the first bridge in the world to carry people and traffic on a high suspended gondola and was used as a model for many similar bridges in Europe, Africa and the America only a few of which survive. With its innovative use of lightweight twisted steel cables, it is regarded as one of the outstanding architectural iron constructions of the Industrial Revolution.

Spain

Basque Country, Province of Bizjaia,

N43 19 23.43 W3 1 0.6

Date of Inscription: 2006

Criteria: (i)(ii)

Property : 0.86 ha

Buffer zone: 12 ha

Ref: 1217

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Works of Antoni Gaudí

Seven properties built by the architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) in or near Barcelona testify to Gaudí’s exceptional creative contribution to the development of architecture and building technology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These monuments represent an eclectic, as well as a very personal, style which was given free reign in the design of gardens, sculpture and all decorative arts, as well as architecture. The seven buildings are: Parque Güell; Palacio Güell; Casa Mila; Casa Vicens; Gaudí’s work on the Nativity façade and Crypt of La Sagrada Familia; Casa Batlló; Crypt in Colonia Güell.

Spain

N41 24 48.168 E2 9 10.699

Date of Inscription: 1984

Extension: 2005

Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)

Ref: 320bis

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco

Brief Description

Tárraco (modern-day Tarragona) was a major administrative and mercantile city in Roman Spain and the centre of the Imperial cult for all the Iberian provinces. It was endowed with many fine buildings, and parts of these have been revealed in a series of exceptional excavations. Although most of the remains are fragmentary, many preserved beneath more recent buildings, they present a vivid picture of the grandeur of this Roman provincial capital.

Spain

Province of Tarragona, Autonomous Community of Catalonia,

N41 6 53 E1 15 33.5

Date of Inscription: 2000

Criteria: (ii)(iii)

Property : 100 ha

Ref: 875rev

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Aranjuez Cultural Landscape

The Aranjuez cultural landscape is an entity of complex relationships: between nature and human activity, between sinuous watercourses and geometric landscape design, between the rural and the urban, between forest landscape and the delicately modulated architecture of its palatial buildings. Three hundred years of royal attention to the development and care of this landscape have seen it express an evolution of concepts from humanism and political centralization, to characteristics such as those found in its 18th century French-style Baroque garden, to the urban lifestyle which developed alongside the sciences of plant acclimatization and stock-breeding during the Age of Enlightenment.

Spain

Province and Autonomous Community of Madrid

N40 2 11.22 W3 36 33.624

Date of Inscription: 2001

Criteria: (ii)(iv)

Property : 2,048 ha

Buffer zone: 16,605 ha

Ref: 1044

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Old City of Salamanca

Brief Description

This ancient university town north-west of Madrid was first conquered by the Carthaginians in the 3rd century B.C. It then became a Roman settlement before being ruled by the Moors until the 11th century. The university, one of the oldest in Europe, reached its high point during Salamanca's golden age. The city's historic centre has important Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish, Renaissance and Baroque monuments. The Plaza Mayor, with its galleries and arcades, is particularly impressive.

Spain

Province of Salamanca, Autonomous Community of Castile-Leon

N40 57 54.9 W5 39 52.2

Date of Inscription: 1988

Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)

Property : 51 ha

Buffer zone: 130 ha

Ref: 381rev

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Santiago de Compostela (Old Town)

Brief Description

This famous pilgrimage site in north-west Spain became a symbol in the Spanish Christians' struggle against Islam. Destroyed by the Muslims at the end of the 10th century, it was completely rebuilt in the following century. With its Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque buildings, the Old Town of Santiago is one of the world's most beautiful urban areas. The oldest monuments are grouped around the tomb of St James and the cathedral, which contains the remarkable Pórtico de la Gloria.

Spain

Province of A Coruña, Autonomous Community of Galicia

N42 52 50.736 W8 32 40.848

Date of Inscription: 1985

Criteria: (i)(ii)(vi)

Property : 108 ha

Buffer zone: 217 ha

Ref: 347

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Tower of Hercules

Brief Description

The Tower of Hercules has served as a lighthouse and landmark at the entrance of La Coruña harbour in north-western Spain since the late 1st century A.D. when the Romans built the Farum Brigantium. The Tower, built on a 57 metre high rock, rises a further 55 metres, of which 34 metres correspond to the Roman masonry and 21 meters to the restoration directed by architect Eustaquio Giannini in the 18^th century, who augmented the Roman core with two octagonal forms. Immediately adjacent to the base of the Tower, is a small rectangular Roman building. The site also features a sculpture park, the Monte dos Bicos rock carvings from the Iron Age and a Muslim cemetery. The Roman foundations of the building were revealed in excavations conducted in the 1990s. Many legends from the Middle Ages to the 19th century surround the Tower of Hercules, which is unique as it is the only lighthouse of Greco-Roman antiquity to have retained a measure of structural integrity and functional continuity.

Spain

N43 23 9 W8 24 23

Date of Inscription: 2009

Criteria: (iii)

Property : 233 ha

Buffer zone: 1,936 ha

Ref: 1312

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida

Brief Description

The colony of Augusta Emerita, which became present-day Mérida in Estremadura, was founded in 25 B.C. at the end of the Spanish Campaign and was the capital of Lusitania. The well-preserved remains of the old city include, in particular, a large bridge over the Guadiana, an amphitheatre, a theatre, a vast circus and an exceptional water-supply system. It is an excellent example of a provincial Roman capital during the empire and in the years afterwards.

Spain

Province of Badajoz, Autonomous Community of Extremadura

N38 54 57.996 W6 20 16.008

Date of Inscription: 1993

Criteria: (iii)(iv)

Property : 31 ha

Buffer zone: 355 ha

Ref: 664

Source: http://whc.unesco.org