Spain is the third country in the world with the most heritage, after China and Italy. At the present time we have 50 places declared as World Heritage Site, although the candidates list keeps growing. This list called “tentative list” includes 30 places. Here we have a selection of places we think they should become World Heritage Site.
This old settlement located in L’Escala, Girona, is unique. Why? It is the sole archeological site in the Iberian Peninsula where Roman and Greek remains live together. Empúries is highly important as it was the entrance point of the romanisation to the Iberian Peninsula.
After being the settlement for Greeks in the 6th century B.C., it worked as a Roman military camp. Later, in the 1st century B.C, it became the city of Emporion. Therefore, the ruins that remain there today (from the Greek agora to the remains of the Roman thermal baths) are an excellent sample of the classic town planning. The settlement also has a monographic museum where the statue of Asclepius is exhibited. The Greco-Roman city of Empúries become a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2002.
The joint candidacy of Trujillo, Monfragüe and Plasencia is in the tentative list of World Heritage since 2009. It proposes to include a mixed natural-cultural asset of exceptional value in a region with great monumental wealth as Extremadura is. The historical importance of these cities and the abundance of forests in the natural park of Extremadura could be re-evaluated as part of a new project by the committee of UNESCO, which rejected the candidature in 2012.
Sancho the Great (1020-1030) ordered to build the biggest castle in Aragón. It is one of the best examples of the Romanesque art in Spain. The excellent condition of the historical monument, as well as the Church of Santa María, the Crypt of Santa Quiteria or the Tower of la Reina, has make of it a worthy candidate to be declared as World Heritage Site. Considered the oldest fortification in Europe, the distinction of World Heritage Site fits Loarre like a glove.
It is the masterpiece by Andrés de Vandelvira. This Renaissance gem located in Jaén deserves the consideration of World Heritage Site. Its chapter house, its sacristy, as well as its impressive Baroque facade and its Neoclassical choir are impressive. In 2012, Unesco was asked to include it in the collection of historic buildings of Úbeda and Baeza already awarded.
The Ribeira Sacra is a magic place that holds Pre-romanesque, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque monuments such as the monastery of San Esteban de Ribas de Sil. The humidity and leafiness of this environment located between Lugo and Ourense with Monforte de Lemos as capital provide an special environment to this trip with an incalculable monumental value that deserves to become a World Heritage Site.
The large number of livestock trails that still are in Spain are part of a complex path network that, in addition to livestock activity, hoards artistic, historic and social values along the villages they go through. These 125,000 kilometres are very well preserved and have been on the World Heritage list since 2007.
You can read part II of this list here.
