What are the new Unesco sites of 2017
Culture & lifestyle — di Lorenzo Brenna
With two new sites bringing the total to 53 entries on the Unesco list, Italy confirms its position as the world leader in this special ranking.
What are the new Unesco sites of 2017
With two new sites bringing the total to 53 entries on the Unesco list, Italy confirms its position as the world leader in this special ranking.
The 41st session of the World Heritage Committee has concluded in Kraków, establishing which new sites have been inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List. To be included on the prestigious list, a site must meet at least ten selection criteria — it must, for example, "contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty", or "represent a masterpiece of human creative genius". A total of fifteen sites have been "approved" (here are those from 2016); among them are two Italian ones — the first comprises a collection of ancient beech forests included within the transnational natural site of the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe, while the other protects the Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th centuries, a transnational site shared by Italy, Croatia and Montenegro.
Italy, world leader for Unesco sites
Italy's sites declared world heritage of humanity now number fifty-three. No other nation can boast as many; in second place in this particular beauty ranking sits China, just behind with 52 sites. "This important result confirms Italy's strong, long-standing commitment to implementing the Unesco World Heritage Convention," Unesco declared the Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, Dario Franceschini. "A precious endeavour that allows our country to maintain the primacy in the number of sites inscribed on the list and to play a significant role in cultural diplomacy at the international level."
Primeval beech forests of the Carpathians and other regions of Europe
Italy's ancient beech forests, stretching from the Abruzzo national park to the Foresta Umbra, are now world heritage alongside the ancient forests of the Carpathians, Slovakia, Germany and Ukraine. In total, 63 beech forests are now recognised by Unesco, spread across Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Ukraine.
Venetian works of defence between the 16th and 17th centuries
The Venetian works of defence between the 16th and 17th centuries, Stato di Terra – western Stato di Mare, consist of six fortified components located in Italy, Croatia and Montenegro, forming a system extending over a thousand kilometres between Lombardy and the eastern Adriatic coast.
Asmara, a modernist city in Africa, capital of Eritrea
Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, developed from 1890 onwards as a military outpost of Italian colonial power. The imprint of Italian architecture from the Fascist era is clearly visible, its insertion into an African context producing a disorienting effect.
The cathedral and monastery of Sviyazhsk, in Russia
The Cathedral of the Assumption and the monastery of Sviyazhsk are part of a large complex built during the Christianisation of this area of Russia, also known as the island city for its peculiar geographical position between two rivers.
Mbanza Kongo, in Angola
The city of Mbanza Kongo stands on a plateau at an altitude of 570 metres and was the capital of the imposing Kingdom of Kongo. Today the area contains the remains of the royal residence, the court, the sacred tree and the tombs of the royals.
Los Alerces national park, in Argentina
This protected area, situated to the west of the province of Chubut, is characterised by a dense network of rivers and streams and by lakes surrounded by the imposing mountain ranges of Patagonia. The park is home to extremely rare century-old specimens of Patagonian cypress (Fitzroya cupressoides).
Pendjari park, in Burkina Faso
This national park, located in north-west Benin on the border with Burkina Faso, extends over more than 2,700 square kilometres. The protected area is home to rare animal species, such as the northwest African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki), a cheetah subspecies of which fewer than fifty individuals are estimated to survive.
Hoh Xil, Qinghai, in China
In Qinghai, a province of the People's Republic of China, an invaluable faunal heritage is found. Among the species that inhabit it are the Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii), the black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis), and the snow leopard (Panthera uncia).
Landscapes of Dauria, in Mongolia
Every year in this area, situated between Mongolia and Russia and characterised by vast steppes, more than three million migratory birds find rest and sustenance. The site extends over almost one million hectares and was added to the world heritage list in part thanks to the involvement of the Iucn.
Old city of Hebron/Al-Khalil, in Palestine
The city of Al-Khalil, Hebron in Hebrew, is a city literally divided in two: metal fences separate the lower floors of buildings, inhabited by Arabs, from the upper ones, inhabited predominantly by Orthodox Jews.
ǂKhomani cultural landscape, in South Africa
The World Heritage Committee has recognised the importance of the ǂKhomani San culture. The inhabitants of this area have developed a specific ethnobotanical knowledge and cultural practices that reflect the geographical characteristics of their environment.