Paris welcomes UNESCO's inscription of two French sites on the World Heritage List
Paris, July 27 (KUNA) -- France welcomed on Monday the decision of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to officially inscribe two sites supported by France on the World Heritage List: the Normandy landing beaches of 1944 and the Royal Castles of the Cathars in Languedoc.
In a statement, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “The inscription of the Normandy landing beaches underscores the significance of this site, which commemorates the history of the Second World War, where the human sacrifices made alongside our allies enabled the liberation of France and Europe from the yoke of tyranny.”
The statement added that “the Royal Castles of the Cathars in Languedoc highlight the exceptional character of the defensive architecture of this fortified system, built during the 13th and 14th centuries,” noting that “the castles embody architectural ingenuity adapted to their environment, with building designs tailored to the region’s topography.”
It further noted that “these two memorial sites join 54 French sites already inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, whose enrichment continues to reflect the diversity of our history and territories.”
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, during its 48th session held in Busan, South Korea, decided to inscribe 10 new cultural and natural sites from around the world on the World Heritage List. The new list includes several sites that represent key stages in human history and the development of arts and architecture, among them the historical capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara in Japan, modernist architecture in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and the architectural works of Alvar Aalto in Finland.
The list also includes the colonial plantations of São Tomé and Príncipe, the Italian opera house system of shared ownership in Italy, and the expansion of the Modernist Housing Estates in Berlin, Germany, through the inscription of the Walldiedlung Zehlendorf settlement.
UNESCO affirmed that these sites represent outstanding universal value due to their cultural and natural significance, and contribute to strengthening efforts to protect and preserve world heritage for future generations. (End) M.B. / M.A.A.
