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30 July

• News website AACHEN CATHEDRAL WORLD HERITAGE SITE (Germany)
  Only available in German: http://www.aachendom.de/index207-0.aspx

• OUR PLACE - THE WORLD'S HERITAGE first official Heritage photographic databank
  There are currently 890 special places around the world that have been awarded prestigious World Heritage status by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. They are some of the planet's most unique and significant locations and are places of both Natural and Cultural importance. Explore their galleries and enjoy original and exclusive photos from over 230 of these sites which represent - OUR PLACE on OUR PLANET.
  More information: http://www.ourplaceworldheritage.com/

29 July

• (in Italian) Patrimonio Mondiale Unesco: dai vantaggi per i Siti alla soglia simbolica dei 1000 di Claudio Ricci
  Dopo l’ultimo comitato di Siviglia, sono ben 890 i Siti nel Mondo dichiarati “Patrimonio Mondiale”, fra beni culturali, ambientali e misti: l’Italia è al primo posto con 44 siti , seguita dalla Spagna a 40. Ma in futuro l’incremento dei siti italiani non sarà così consistente come negli anni passati. Con l’attivazione della “moratoria” non si potrà inscrivere più di un Sito all’anno. A questo limite si aggiunge la “soglia simbolica” di 1000 Siti nel Mondo, che, nonostante qualche polemica, sono convinto possa essere ritenuta “esaustiva”, rappresentando simbolicamente la molteplicità di Valori fisici del Mondo. Se il numero salisse troppo tutto questo “patrimonio ideale” tenderebbe a “svanire”,“affondare”. Peraltro, dal 2009-2010, inizieranno le iscrizioni “ufficiali” nelle nuove Liste UNESCO legate al Patrimonio Immateriale e alle Diversità Culturali.
  [italiano] http://www.tafter.it/2009/07/16/patrimonio-mondiale-unesco-dai-vantaggi-per-i-siti-alla-soglia-simbolica-dei-1000-di-claudio-ricci/

28 July

• Val de Loire (France): The Loire à Vélo: 3 new stretches opened
  In June and July 2009, new stretches were opened: the Angers loop of the Loire à Vélo cycling itinerary, Montsoreau-Saumur (along the Loire) and Chaumont-sur-Loire – Rilly.
  More information: http://www.valdeloire.org/front.aspx?SectionId=304&CHANGELANG=en&publiid=5655

• Val de Loire (France): The heritage and artists: a directory of initiatives in the Centre region
  Along with County Councils, Tourist Boards, owners’ associations (Demeures Historiques, Vieilles Maisons Françaises, Maisons Paysannes de France) and the Fondation du Patrimoine of the Centre Region, Culture O Centre – Ateliers de développement culturel is drawing up a list of heritage sites that currently organize or are willing to organize artistic activities.
  More information: http://www.valdeloire.org/front.aspx?SectionId=25&CHANGELANG=en&publiid=5652

• Val de Loire (France): Feasibility study of an Inter-regional Landscape Cluster
  The Centre and Pays de la Loire have decided to assess whether the potential offered by the very real landscape concerns of both regions, particularly in the Loire Valley, may constitute a specific asset likely to foster a networking initiative that will lead to positive spillovers and sustainable development for businesses.
  More information: http://www.valdeloire.org/front.aspx?SectionId=25&CHANGELANG=en&publiid=5648

• Educational projects in association with the Loire Valley (France)
  Two major projects have recently been completed: the creation of a garden for the Fontevraud Abbey by sixth-form from the Pays de la Loire, and a cycle ride down the Loire by Year 9 students from Bracieux (41).
  • A garden in the Fontevraud Abbey
    On Saturday 27 June 2009, the “wave garden” was officially opened at the Fontevraud Royal Abbey in the presence of Marc Vayer, teacher and initiator of the project, and by many students and their families, by Bernard Violain, Vice-President of the Pays de la Loire Region, Xavier Kawa-Topor, Abbey Director and heads of the Herbiers, Montaigu and Montreuil-Bellay sixth-form colleges.
  • Euroveloloire
    From 19 to 30 June 2009, 71 Year 9 students from Hubert Fillay secondary school in Bracieux (41) cycled down the Loire in relay from its source to the estuary.
    The goals of the project, thought up by the teacher Jean-Yves Muneret and funded by the Centre region, were to:
    • foster cooperation, around the theme of the Loire
    • motivate students to think about the impact of man’s impressions on this river
    • open up to the environment of the River Loire banks.

    The students took part in the World Heritage Rendezvous on 27 June in Amboise.

  More information: http://www.valdeloire.org/front.aspx?SectionId=25&CHANGELANG=en&publiid=5649

• Presentation of the Val de Loire World Heritage to newly elected local representatives
  As part of its new guidelines defined in 2008 by the Centre and Pays de la Loire regions, the Val de Loire Mission is due to meet the elected local representatives of the listed site. The aim is to inform the newly elected representatives about:
  • the main aspects of the inclusion
  • the institutional management system
  • the Val de Loire Mission’s action plan for 2008-2010

  More information: http://www.valdeloire.org/front.aspx?SectionId=25&CHANGELANG=en&publiid=5581

• Patronage: Fontevraud Abbey is forging ties with Saumur-based businesses
  The Centre Culturel de l’Ouest, which runs Fontevraud Abbey, wanted to develop partnerships with Saumur-based businesses to become more involved in the local economy and increase the resources provided by patronage for implementing its cultural project.
  More information: http://www.valdeloire.org/front.aspx?SectionId=304&CHANGELANG=en&publiid=5656

• New website for the Plan Loire
  This Intranet/Internet exchange platform is one of the initiatives of the Plan Loire Grandeur Nature 2007-2013, which is being overseen by the Etablissement Public Loire. Given the large number of stakeholders, generators and users of data in the Loire region, this new website seeks to federate and pool information. In addition to a general presentation of the Plan Loire, the website gives access either via the 6 platforms of the Plan Loire, for keeping track of progress, or by profile (project bearer, company, association, etc). A directory, diary, dashboards and a search engine are worthwhile additions to the services of this website that has been designed to evolve. It is available in French and English.
  More information: http://www.valdeloire.org/front.aspx?SectionId=25&CHANGELANG=en&publiid=5647

• New publicity material for the Val de Loire World Heritage
  The Val de Loire Mission is renewing its publicity material: leaflet for the general public, hanging banners and umbrella stands. Leaflet for the general public: The Val de Loire World Heritage information leaflet is being given a complete makeover in line with the objective of turning the World Heritage listing into a major asset of the Loire, transcending administrative frontiers. It is helping to enhance the image of the Val de Loire with a view to raising awareness of the notion of a living cultural landscape.
  More information: http://www.valdeloire.org/front.aspx?SectionId=25&CHANGELANG=en&publiid=5650

23 July

• Virtual Visit of Lascaux cave paintings
  The entrance to the cave, at an altitude of 185 metres, overlooks the valley floor some 110 metres below. The cavity is part of a group of cutaneous networks, i.e. of a development running parallel to the main line of the valley, which makes it very likely that there were several entrances. The total length of all of the accessible cave areas does not exceed 235 metres. The level of the cave floor drops 13 meters from the entrance to the Axial Gallery, and 19 metres to the base of the Shaft. Lascaux has traditionally been divided into seven sectors: the Hall of the Bulls, the Axial Gallery, the Passageway, the Nave, the Chamber of the Felines, the Apse and the Shaft. The accessible areas of the cave can be divided along three major axes. The first comprises the entrance area, the Hall of the Bulls and the Axial Gallery. The second includes the Passageway, the Nave, the Mondmilch Gallery and the Chamber of the Felines. The third axis contains the Shaft and the Great Fissure; beyond this, a large quantity of scree marks the opening of the Silted-up Chamber.
  More information: http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/#/en/00.xml

22 July

• When World Heritage sites and Biosphere Reserves merge
  Last May, Fraser Island, Australian World Heritage site since 1992, became the core part of the new Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve. Natural world heritage sites conserve ecosystems for which they have been inscribed, while biosphere reserves also do restoration of degraded environments. How will environment and tourist management practices change for the world’s largest sand island?
  More information: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=45952&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

21 July

• TripAdvisor pledges support to World Heritage
  Following a discussion with Francesco Bandarin, Director of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, Christine Petersen, Chief Marketing Officer of TripAdvisor, has confirmed the company's pledge to support World Heritage by developing an online outreach and awareness building campaign focusing on conservation and community involvement at World Heritage site destinations. TripAdvisor has proposed to make an initial financial contribution to the World Heritage Fund to start working on the development of this collaborative initiative which should lead to the establishment of a partnership between the organizations.
  More information: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/538/

• WHTour: 1001 Wonders - Place Stanislas, Nancy, France
  1001wonders.org (formerly world-heritage-tour.org) is listing 1001 cultural and natural sites around the world and is documenting them in panophotographies - immersive and interactive panoramic images. Today 273 sites have been visited : 258 are available on this web site, 15 are currently in post-production and will soon be uploaded. Altogether there are 2154 panophotographies. This project is building a museum atlas which is interactive, immersive, without border and for educational purposes. It is also a testimony and a documentary inventory of natural and cultural sites to future generations.
  More information: http://www.world-heritage-tour.org/europe/france/nancy/place-stanislas/map.html

• Partnership - National Authority for Preah Vihear, Kingdom of Cambodia & ICCROM
  On 3 June, a Letter of Agreement between ICCROM and the National Authority for Preah Vihear (NAPV) was signed by the Director-General of ICCROM, Mounir Bouchenaki and the Director-General of NAPV, H.E. Hang Soth. Also present: H.E. Deputy Prime Minister Mr Sok An; H.E. Chuch Phoeurn, President of the NAPV and Secretary of State for Cultural Heritage; and Mr Teruo Jinnai, Representative of UNESCO, Phnom Penh. This agreement will allow the preparation of a specific training programme for Preah Vihear that is aimed at enhancing the operational capacity of relevant heritage professionals and institutions. Furthermore, the implementation of this programme is in line with the decision taken by the World Heritage Committee in Quebec 2008.
  More information: http://www.iccrom.org/eng/news_en/2009_en/
  various_en/06_22mouKHM_en.shtml

• ANU Institute for Professional Practice in Heritage and the Arts - Professional update session on World Heritage and Buffer Zones (Australia) 18 August 2009
  The Australian National University is pleased to announce that more information is now available on the new Institute for Professional Practice in Heritage and the Arts’ core activities and range of professional development programs. An initial program of activities is available on the new Institute website. The Institute will be making a call for individual members and organisational partners in late 2009. There will be an interesting range of programs under development so far and any other suggestions for areas worthy of professional development are welcome. The next scheduled event is on Tuesday the 18 August which will be a professional update session on World Heritage and Buffer Zones, including a summary of the recently released World Heritage paper 25 and its implications for Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
  More information: http://rsh.anu.edu.au/ippha/

• 10th OWHC World Congress. Quito (Ecuador) - September 8 to 11, 2009
  The 10th World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) will be held from September 8 to 11, 2009 in Quito, Ecuador. The Congress is organized by the city of Quito in collaboration with the OWHC and it includes a scientific program developed by the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI). The congress theme will be "Revitalization of Historical centers: How to involve all social actors?". The World Congress of the OWHC is a unique forum. Every two years it brings together politicians and professionals who are committed to the preservation of historic cities, particularly those inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The first of these events was held in 1991 and, ever since, this event has enabled participants to discuss topics of common interest, share their experiences and learn about new strategies for meeting the challenges associated with the conservation and management of World Heritage Cities. The event has also underscored the dynamism and open-mindedness of the OWHC.
  More information: http://www.ocpmquito.org/

• Visit of the leaving OWHC President to Quebec
  The leaving Chairperson of the Organization of World heritage cities (OWHC), Mr. Marcelo Cabrera Palacios, mayor of Cuenca in Ecuador, visited the OWHC headquarters in Quebec from 13 to 14 July. Besides different administrative tasks, Mr. Cabrera Palacios had a meeting with the authorities of the city of Quebec, representatives of the Laval University and other OWHC partners.
  More information: http://www.ovpm.org/

10 July

• NETWORK VAUBAN - Restoration of the escarpment and the counter escarpment. Camaret-sur-Mer (France)
  After the repair of its layer in 2007, works start again on the Camaret gold tower. Now it is the restoration of the escarpment and the counter escarpment, these walls that cover the ditch that surrounds the tower in which the tide penetrates by infiltration (see attached photographs). The Goarec-Pitrey company performs the works that began last September, with the financial aid of the company Total, the Heritage foundation, the regional board, the general advice and the municipality of Camaret. Mrs Marie-Suzanne de Ponthaud supervises all the works, main Architect of Historic monuments who guards by their good development…

• VAUBAN NETWORK - a week devoted to heritage. Longwy (France)
  From last February 9 to 13, the high city of Longwy served as experimentation field to the National Higher School of Architecture of Nancy, on the occasion of its Workshop of annual work on the topic “Heritage and draft”. In order to carry out this “Workshop”, the school resorted to one of the best specialists from Vauban, architect Philippe Prost, accompanied by 4 professors specialized in architectonic, urban and landscape heritage …

• First anniversary of the inscription of the Fortifications of Vauban in the world heritage List
  For this occasion, different manifestations are organized on the sites of the Vauban Network, and as culminating point, the inauguration of commemorative plaques.
  Download the complete program of the festivities on the sites of the Network.

• Signature of an agreement of the Vauban sites network with the National Higher School of architecture Paris-Belleville - Ensa-pb (France)
  As a result of a proposal formulated by Philippe Prost, professor of the ENSA-PB and architect, an agreement was signed last June 24 between Jean-Pierre Bobenriether, director of the ENSA-PB and Jean-Louis Fousseret, President of the Network of the main sites of Vauban. They communicated their satisfaction to see this new collaboration, which is expected to be more than profitable.

3 July

• 3 new cities in the UNESCO List in 2009
  The World Heritage Committee met in Seville (Spain) from June 22 to 30, and added 3 new cities to the List of the cultural and natural sites protected by UNESCO. “It is a great honour and a great privilege to welcome new inscriptions in the great family of World Heritage cities; these cities, towns and settlements have such exceptional value that their protection is incumbent on the whole humanity, and enriches, each one in its way, our collective memory and are also new wonderful places to be visited and discovered” declared Denis Ricard, Secretary General of the OWHC. Les nouvelles villes sont:
  • Cidade Velha, Historic Centre of Ribeira Grande (Cape Verde)
  • La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle, watchmaking town planning (Suisse)
  • Levoca, Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments (Slovakia)

   

2 July

• WHTour: 1001 Wonders - Lower Valley of the Omo in Ethiopia
  1001wonders.org (formerly world-heritage-tour.org) is listing 1001 cultural and natural sites around the world and is documenting them in panophotographies - immersive and interactive panoramic images. Today 272 sites have been visited : 255 are available on this web site, 17 are currently in post-production and will soon be uploaded. Altogether there are 2099 panophotographies. This project is building a museum atlas which is interactive, immersive, without border and for educational purposes. It is also a testimony and a documentary inventory of natural and cultural sites to future generations.
  

World Heritage Review n°53 - World Heritage in Spain

• Message from the UNESCO Director-General, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura
• Map of World Heritage in Spain
• World Heritage in Seville: Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias
• Interview with María Jesús San Segundo, Chair of the 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee
• Spanish prehistory on the World Heritage List
• World Heritage and prehistory
• Historic cities: The management of a living heritage
• Valuing knowledge: The PAHÍS Plan
• The Routes of Santiago: Managing complexity
• Cultural landscapes: A wise management of World Heritage
• Spain’s National Parks: Management networks
• Spain and the World Heritage Centre: Seven years of close cooperation
• World Heritage in private hands
• Religion and culture: The management of an ecclesiastical heritage
• World Heritage monuments
• Spanish Tentative List
• Coordinating diversity: The role of the Ministry of Culture in implementing the World Heritage Convention