Heritage with Related Tags
Mount Etna
Mount Etna is an iconic attraction at the highest point of Mount Etna on the east coast of Sicily, covering an uninhabited area of 19,237 hectares. Mount Etna is the highest mountain on the Mediterranean island and the most active stratovolcano in the world. The volcano has an eruptive history dating back 500,000 years, of which at least 2,700 years of eruptive activity have been recorded. Etna's almost continuous eruptive activity continues to influence volcanology, geophysics and other earth science disciplines. The volcano also supports important terrestrial ecosystems, including endemic flora and fauna, and its activity makes it a natural laboratory for studying ecological and biological processes. The diversity and accessibility of volcanic features such as craters, cinder cones, lava flows and the Valle de Bove depression make the site a prime destination for research and education.
Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily)
The eight towns of southeastern Sicily: Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo, Ragusa and Scicli, were all rebuilt on or next to the towns where they were when the earthquake struck in 1693. They represent a considerable collective undertaking that has managed to achieve a high level of architectural and artistic achievement. They retain the late Baroque style of the time and also display unique innovations in town planning and urban architecture.
Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale
Located on the northern coast of Sicily, Arab-Norman Palermo includes a series of nine civil and religious buildings dating from the Norman Kingdom of Sicily (1130-1194): two palaces, three churches, a cathedral, a bridge and the cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale. Collectively, they are an example of the socio-cultural fusion of Western, Islamic and Byzantine cultures on the island, which gave rise to new spatial, structural and decorative concepts. They also bear witness to the fruitful coexistence of peoples of different origins and religions (Muslim, Byzantine, Latin, Jewish, Lombard and French).
Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island
Located in southwestern Japan, the series of sites covers 42,698 hectares of subtropical rainforest on four islands, forming an arc on the border of the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea, with its highest point being Yumaru-dake on Amami Oshima, at 694 metres above sea level. The site is completely uninhabited and has a high biodiversity value, with a very high proportion of endemic species, many of which are globally endangered. The site is home to endemic plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, inland water fish and decapod crustaceans, such as the endangered Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi) and the endangered Ryukyu woolly rat (Diplothrix legata), which represent ancient lineages with no living relatives anywhere in the world. Five mammals, three birds and three amphibians within the site have been globally recognised as Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species. In addition, many different endemic species are present on each island, which are not found elsewhere in the site.