Heritage with Related Tags
Historic Centre of Guimarães
The historic city of Guimarães is closely linked to the rise of Portuguese national identity in the 12th century. The town is a well-preserved example of the evolution of a medieval settlement into a modern town, and its rich architectural typologies reflect the specific development of Portuguese architecture from the 15th to the 19th century, through the continued use of traditional building materials and techniques.
Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region
The Erzgebirge/Krushnohori (Ore Mountains) stretch across an area in southeastern Germany (Saxony) and northwestern Czechia, and contain a wide variety of metals that have been mined since the Middle Ages. The region became the most important source of silver ore in Europe between 1460 and 1560, and mining was the region's main industry. Mining was a trigger for the global transfer of technological and scientific innovations. Tin was the second metal mined and processed in the region's history. At the end of the 19th century, the region became a major global producer of uranium. 800 years of almost uninterrupted mining activity from the 12th to the 20th century deeply shaped the Erzgebirge cultural landscape, which includes mining, pioneering water management systems, innovative mineral processing and smelting sites, and mining cities.
Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion
The cultivation of grapes was introduced by the Romans to this fertile region of Aquitaine and developed greatly in the Middle Ages. The Saint-Emilion region benefited from its location on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, and from the 11th century onwards many churches, monasteries and almshouses were built here. In the 12th century, during the English rule, it was granted the special status of a "jurisdiction". This is a landscape of great beauty, entirely dedicated to grape cultivation, with many fine historical monuments in its towns and villages.
Longobards in Italy. Places of the Power (568-774 A.D.)
The Lombards in Italy, Sea of Power, 568-774 AD, includes seven groups of important buildings (including fortresses, churches and monasteries) from across the Italian peninsula. They bear witness to the Lombards' own unique culture in Italy, who ruled a vast territory from the 6th to the 8th centuries. The Lombards' fusion of architectural styles marks the transition from Antiquity to the European Middle Ages, drawing on the traditions of ancient Rome, the Christian spirit, Byzantine influences and Germanic northern Europe. This collection of artifacts testifies to the important role that the Lombards played in the spiritual and cultural development of Christianity in medieval Europe, especially through their support of the monastic movement.
Mines of Rammelsberg, Historic Town of Goslar and Upper Harz Water Management System
The Upper Harz Mining Water Management System, located in the mining area of Rammelsberg and south of the town of Goslar, has been developed over a period of about 800 years to aid the mining of non-ferrous metals. Its construction was initially carried out by Cistercian monks in the Middle Ages and then developed on a large scale from the late 16th century to the 19th century. It consists of an extremely complex but perfectly coherent system of artificial ponds, small waterways, tunnels and underground drains. It enabled the development of hydroelectric power for use in mining and metallurgical processes. It is a major site of mining innovation in the Western world.
San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano
The Historic Centre of San Marino and Mount Titano covers an area of 55 hectares and includes Mount Titano and the historic centre of the city, dating back to the founding of the Republic as a city-state in the 13th century. San Marino is listed as a testimony to the continuity of a free republic since the Middle Ages. The listed city centre includes defensive towers, walls, gates and fortresses, as well as the 19th-century neoclassical cathedral, 14th- and 16th-century monasteries, the 19th-century Palazzo Comunale and the 18th-century Teatro Titano. The property represents a historic centre that is still inhabited and has preserved all its institutional functions. Due to its location on top of Mount Titano, it has not been affected by the urban transformations that have taken place from the advent of the industrial age to the present day.
Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs
The medieval fortified town of Provins is located in the old domain of the Counts of Champagne. It witnessed the early development of international trade fairs and the wool industry. The urban structure of Provins was built specifically to host fairs and related activities and is well preserved.
Aachen Cathedral
The construction of this palatial chapel with its octagonal basilica and dome began during the reign of Charlemagne, around 790-800. Initially, the design of the chapel was inspired by churches in the eastern part of the Holy Roman Empire, and it was greatly expanded in the Middle Ages.
L'viv – the Ensemble of the Historic Centre
Founded in the late Middle Ages, Lviv was a prosperous administrative, religious and commercial centre for centuries. The medieval topography of the city remains largely intact (in particular, there is evidence of the different ethnic communities that once lived there), as well as many fine Baroque and later buildings.
Erfurt's Medieval Jewish Heritage
The heritage site is located in the medieval old town of Erfurt, the capital of the Free State of Thuringia, and consists of three ancient buildings: the old synagogue, the baptistery, and the stone house. They show the life of the Jewish community in Central Europe in the Middle Ages (from the end of the 11th century to the middle of the 14th century AD) and its coexistence with the majority Christian community.
Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland
The seven timber houses on this site in eastern Sweden represent the culmination of a timber-framed building tradition in the region that dates back to the Middle Ages. They reflect the prosperity of independent farmers in the 19th century, who used their wealth to build spacious new homes with elaborately decorated outbuildings or suites for festivals. The paintings represent a fusion of folk art with styles favoured by the landowning class at the time, including Baroque and Rococo. Decorated by painters, both known and unknown itinerant artists, these listed houses represent the final flowering of a long cultural tradition.
Historic Monuments of Novgorod and Surroundings
Located on the ancient trade route between Central Asia and Northern Europe, Novgorod was the first capital of Russia in the 9th century. Surrounded by churches and monasteries, Novgorod was a center of Orthodox spirituality and Russian architecture. Its medieval monuments and 14th-century frescoes by the Greek Theophanes (Andrei Rublev's teacher) demonstrate the development of its remarkable architectural and cultural creativity.
Historic Centre of Prague
The Old Town, Lesser Town and New Town were built between the 11th and 18th centuries and reflect the huge architectural and cultural influences that the city has experienced since the Middle Ages. Many of the magnificent monuments, such as the Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge and numerous churches and palaces, were mostly built during the reign of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV in the 14th century.
Old town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof
This medieval town on the Danube in Bavaria has many buildings of outstanding quality that bear witness to its history as a trading center and its influence on the region since the 9th century. The large number of historic buildings spans approximately two thousand years and includes ancient Roman, Romanesque and Gothic buildings. Regensburg's 11th to 13th century architecture, including the market, town hall and cathedral, still determines the character of the town, which is characterized by tall buildings, dark narrow alleys and strong fortifications. These buildings include medieval noble houses and towers, a large number of church and monastery complexes and the 12th century Old Bridge. The town is also famous for its ruins, which bear witness to its long history as one of the centers of the Holy Roman Empire that turned to Protestantism.
Historic Centre of Sighişoara
Founded by German craftsmen and merchants known as the Transylvanian Saxons, Sighişoara is a typical small medieval fortified town that for centuries played an important strategic and commercial role on the edge of Central Europe.
Jewish Quarter and St Procopius' Basilica in Třebíč
The Jewish Quarter, the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Basilica of St. Procopius in Třebíć bear witness to the coexistence of Jewish and Christian cultures from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. The Jewish Quarter is an outstanding testimony to all aspects of the life of this community. The Basilica of St. Procopius, built in the early 13th century as part of a Benedictine monastery, is an outstanding example of the influence of Western European architectural heritage on the region.
Historic Centre of Vienna
Vienna grew from an early Celtic and Roman settlement into a medieval and Baroque city and the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. From the glory days of Viennese Classicism until the early 20th century, it was Europe's leading music centre. Vienna's historic centre features a rich architectural ensemble, including Baroque castles and gardens, and the late 19th-century Ringstrasse, lined with magnificent buildings, monuments and parks.
Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
Santiago de Compostela was the ultimate destination for countless devout pilgrims from all over Europe in the Middle Ages. To reach Spain, the pilgrims had to pass through France, and this set of inscriptions marks the four routes they took.
City of Bath
Founded by the Romans as a spa, Bath became an important centre for the wool industry in the Middle Ages. In the 18th century, under the reign of George III, Bath developed into an elegant town with neoclassical Palladian architecture and Roman baths.
City of Verona
The historic city of Verona was founded in the 1st century BC, and was particularly prosperous under the rule of the Scaliger family from the 13th to the 14th century. It was part of the Republic of Venice from the 15th to the 18th century. Verona has preserved a large number of ancient, medieval and Renaissance monuments and is an outstanding example of a military fortress.
Ancient City of Nessebar
Nessebar, located on a rocky peninsula in the Black Sea, has a history of more than 3,000 years and was originally a Thracian settlement (Menebria). In the early 6th century BC, the city became a Greek colony. Most of the city's remains date back to the Hellenistic period, including the Acropolis, the Temple of Apollo, the Agora and the walls of the Thracian fortifications. Among other monuments, the Cathedral and Fortress of Stara Mitropolia date back to the Middle Ages, when it was one of the most important Byzantine towns on the western coast of the Black Sea. The wooden houses built in the 19th century are typical representatives of the Black Sea architecture of the time.
Kernavė Archaeological Site (Cultural Reserve of Kernavė)
The Kernavi Archaeological Site, located approximately 35 km northwest of Vilnius in eastern Lithuania, bears valuable witness to about 10,000 years of human settlement in the region. Located in the Neris River Valley, the site is a complex group of archaeological sites that includes the town of Kernavi, a fortress, some unfortified settlements, burial sites, and other archaeological, historical, and cultural monuments from the Upper Paleolithic to the Middle Ages. The site covers an area of 194.4 hectares and preserves traces of ancient land use, as well as the remains of five impressive hill forts that were part of a vast defense system. Kernavi was an important feudal town in the Middle Ages. The town was destroyed by the Teutonic Knights at the end of the 14th century, but the site has been used until modern times.
Kuldiga Old Town
Kuldīga, located in western Latvia, is a well-preserved example of a traditional town. In the 16th-18th centuries, it developed from a small medieval village into an important administrative center of the Principality of Courland and Semigallia. The urban structure of Kuldīga has largely preserved the street layout of the time, and the houses are a mixture of traditional log buildings and other styles influenced by foreign influences, reflecting the rich exchange between local craftsmen and traveling artisans along the Baltic coast. The architectural influences and craft traditions introduced during the principality period continued until the 19th century.
Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor
In the Middle Ages, this natural port on Montenegro's Adriatic coast was an important center of art and commerce, with renowned schools of masonry and icon painting. An earthquake in 1979 severely damaged much of the monuments (including four Romanesque churches and the town walls), but the town has been restored with the help of UNESCO.
Costiera Amalfitana
The Amalfi Coast is a land of great beauty and natural diversity. It has been heavily settled since the early Middle Ages. There are many towns, such as Amalfi and Ravello, with significant architecture and works of art. The countryside shows the inhabitants' flexibility in using the land according to the diversity of the terrain, from terraced vineyards and orchards on the lower slopes to wide high pastures.
Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar
The two medieval towns of Wismar and Stralsund, located on the Baltic coast in northern Germany, were major trading centres of the Hanseatic League in the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 17th and 18th centuries, they became administrative and defence centres for Swedish territories in Germany. They contributed to the development of Brick Gothic architectural types and techniques in the Baltic region, as evidenced by several important brick cathedrals, Stralsund Town Hall and a range of houses for residential, commercial and craft purposes, representing its evolution over the centuries.
Assisi, the Basilica of San Francesco and Other Franciscan Sites
Assisi is a medieval city built on a hill, the birthplace of St. Francis and closely associated with the work of the Franciscan Order. Its masterpieces of medieval art, such as the Basilica of San Francesco and paintings by Cimabue, Pietro Lorenzetti, Simone Martini and Giotto, make Assisi a fundamental reference point for the development of art and architecture in Italy and Europe.
Naumburg Cathedral
Located in the eastern Thuringian Basin, Naumburg Cathedral was founded in 1028 and is an outstanding testimony to medieval art and architecture. Its Romanesque structure is flanked by two Gothic choirs, demonstrating the stylistic shift from late Romanesque to early Gothic. The west choir dates from the first half of the 13th century and reflects changes in religious practices and the emergence of science and nature in figurative art. The choir and the life-size statues of the cathedral's founders are masterpieces of the workshop known as the "Naumburg Masters".
Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards
This collection of 28 sites, located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, western Serbia, western Montenegro and central and southern Croatia, represents cemeteries and local medieval tombstones, known as stećci. The cemeteries date from the 12th to the 16th centuries AD and are arranged in rows, a common custom in medieval Europe. The stećci are mostly carved from limestone. They feature a variety of decorative motifs and inscriptions, representing both continuity with medieval European iconography and a unique local tradition.
Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments
Arles is an excellent example of an ancient city adapting to medieval European civilization. It has some impressive Roman monuments, the earliest of which, the hippodrome, the Roman theatre and the underground corridors date back to the 1st century BC. In the 4th century, Arles experienced a second golden age, as evidenced by the Baths of Constantine and the Alyscamps. In the 11th and 12th centuries, Arles once again became one of the most attractive cities in the Mediterranean. Saint-Trophime and its cloisters within the city walls are one of the main Romanesque monuments in Provence.
Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada
Located above the modern Baixa, on two adjacent hills, the Alhambra and the Albayzin comprise the medieval part of Granada. East of the Alhambra fortress and residences are the magnificent gardens of the Generalife, once the country residence of the emirs who ruled this part of Spain in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Albayzin is a treasure trove of Moorish vernacular architecture, harmoniously blending in with traditional Andalusian architecture.
Upper Svaneti
Long isolated from the outside world, the Upper Svaneti region of the Caucasus is a well-preserved example of a mountainous landscape with medieval-style villages and tower houses. More than 200 of these highly unusual houses still remain in the village of Chazash, which served both as residences and as sentinels for defense against invaders that plagued the area.
Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches
Built in the 11th century to protect Spanish territory from the Moors, the "City of Saints and Stones" is the birthplace of Saint Theresa and the burial place of the Grand Inquisitor Torquemada, and still retains its medieval simplicity. This purity of form can still be seen in the Gothic cathedral and the fortifications, which, with 82 semicircular towers and 9 gates, are the most complete fortifications in Spain.
Boyana Church
Boyana Church is located in the suburbs of Sofia and consists of three buildings. The eastern church was built in the 10th century and was expanded in the early 13th century by Sebastiano Kratos Kaloyan, who ordered the construction of a second two-story building next to it. The frescoes in the second church were painted in 1259 and are one of the most important collections of medieval paintings. The third church was built in the early 19th century and completes the entire church complex. The site is one of the most complete and best-preserved monuments of medieval art in Eastern Europe.
Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church
The Palace of Westminster was built in 1840 on an important medieval site and is an excellent example of neo-Gothic architecture. The site also includes the medieval Perpendicular Gothic St Margaret's Chapel and Westminster Abbey, which has great historical and symbolic significance as the site where monarchs have been crowned since the 11th century.
Medieval City of Rhodes
The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem occupied Rhodes from 1309 to 1523 and set about transforming the city into a fortress. It was subsequently ruled by Turkey and Italy. The Upper Town, with the Grand Patriarch's Palace, the Great Hospital and the Street of Knights, is one of the most beautiful urban complexes of the Gothic period. In the Lower Town, Gothic buildings coexist with mosques, public baths and other buildings dating back to the Ottoman period.
Historic Centre of Siena
Siena is a classic example of a medieval city. The inhabitants of Siena competed with Florence in the area of urban planning. For centuries, they preserved the city's Gothic appearance, which was developed between the 12th and 15th centuries. During this period, the work of Duccio, the Lorenzetti brothers and Simone Martini influenced the development of art in Italy and throughout Europe. The entire city of Siena is built around Piazza del Campo and is designed like a work of art that blends in with the surrounding landscape.
Historic Centre of Bukhara
Bukhara is located on the Silk Road and has a history of more than 2,000 years. It is the best-preserved medieval city in Central Asia, with the urban structure largely intact. Monuments of particular interest include the famous Tomb of Ismail Samani, a masterpiece of 10th-century Muslim architecture, and a large number of 17th-century madrasas.
Røros Mining Town and the Circumference
The mining town of Røros and the surrounding area are associated with copper mining, which began in the 17th century and was worked for 333 years until 1977. The site includes the town and its industrial rural cultural landscape, the smelter Femundshytta and its associated areas, and winter transport routes. Røros was destroyed by Swedish troops in 1679 and has since been completely rebuilt, with around 2,000 one- and two-storey wooden houses and a smelter. Many of the buildings retain their black wooden façades, giving the town a medieval appearance. The site is surrounded by a buffer zone that coincides with the privileged zone (periphery) granted to mining companies by the Danish-Norwegian Crown (1646), demonstrating a lasting culture based on copper mining that was established and flourished in a remote, climatically harsh region.
Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania
These Transylvanian villages and their fortified churches vividly portray the cultural landscape of southern Transylvania. Founded by Transylvanian Saxons, these seven villages are characterized by a specific land use system, settlement patterns, and family farm organization that have been preserved since the late Middle Ages. The villages are dominated by fortified churches that display architectural styles from the 13th to the 16th centuries.
Stari Ras and Sopoćani
On the outskirts of Stari Ras, the first capital of Serbia, there is an impressive group of medieval monuments, including fortresses, churches and monasteries. Sopoćani Monastery is a witness to the contact of Western civilization with the Byzantine world.
Medieval Monuments in Kosovo
The four buildings at the site reflect the pinnacle of Byzantine-Romanesque ecclesiastical culture, with a distinctive style of fresco painting that developed in the Balkans between the 13th and 17th centuries. The Monastery of Dečani was built in the mid-14th century for the Serbian King Stefan Dečani and also serves as his mausoleum. The Archbishop's Monastery of Pécs is a group of four domed churches that features a series of frescoes. The 13th-century frescoes in the Church of the Holy Apostles were painted in a distinctive monumental style. The early 14th-century frescoes in the Church of Our Lady of Livisa represent the emergence of the so-called Neo-Paleologo Renaissance style, which blends influences from Eastern Orthodox Byzantine and Western Romanesque traditions. This style played a decisive role in later Balkan art.
Historic Centre of Brugge
Bruges is an outstanding example of a medieval historic settlement that has preserved its historic structures over the centuries, with original Gothic buildings forming the town's character. As one of Europe's commercial and cultural capitals, Bruges has established cultural links with all parts of the world. It has close links with the Flemish Primitive school of painting.