the essential
The three countries are in the final stages before submitting the application file to register “the State of the Pyrenees” as a UNESCO world heritage site, with an application hoped for in 2026.
The castle of Foix (France), the Casa de la Vall, the churches of Sant-Romà-de-les-Bons, Sant-Climent-de-Pal or Santa-Coloma (Andorra), the cathedral of La Seu d ‘Urgell (Spain), the archaeological zone of Roc d’Enclar… Not twelve sites independent of each other, but one and the same group, which has contributed to shaping the co-principality of Andorra throughout history , or the State of the Pyrenees: this is what is based on the candidacy of the three Pyrenees countries to register these monuments as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
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But the road to achieving this is long and the file must be carefully put together to claim this coveted registration. Especially since the candidacy is tripartite, bringing together three countries with different legislation. However, the process, begun in 2015, follows that of “serial properties”, such as that of the paths of Santiago de Compostela (inscribed in 1997) or the prehistoric sites of Talayotic Menorca (inscribed in 2023): for benefit from the experience of their managers, the latter were invited to a transnational seminar, which was held this Thursday September 26 and Friday September 27 in Foix.
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Because the last step before the formal submission of the candidacy is in sight for the three nations: “We wish to submit the file in 2026, says the Minister of Culture of Andorra Monica Bonell Tuset. It is practically finished, but we are working on the protection of monuments and their surroundings, which is important to show to UNESCO”. A protection similar to that of the remarkable heritage site (SPR), which is being created for the Château de Foix: “It is a more extensive protection than the more traditional perimeter of the historic monument, which the castle already has. have been determined, the file has been submitted and now the site must be accompanied by a management plan.”
A common animation in the plans
But what does this management plan consist of at the heart of current concerns? “It’s the sustainable management of assets. To caricature, our three countries will be responsible for these assets before humanity and we must show how we are going to preserve them, that we have put in place management tools that preserve the asset “, explains Michel Roussel, director of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (Drac) of Occitanie. He compares this to “a heritage town planning regulation”: “This would explain how constructions could not exceed certain heights, how we are going to keep significant houses, how we are going to manage sustainable development, whether we integrate photovoltaics or not… “
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But isn’t the implementation of this plan complicated by the fact that these are different countries, with their own legislation? “Everyone will work with their own regulations,” assures Michel Roussel. “We are working to establish this protection perimeter in Andorra,” adds Monica Bonell Tuset. “This application is not the addition of three countries, it is a unique whole, with dynamics and long-term co-management .” “Which does not mean that each site must be managed in a uniform manner,” adds the prefect of Ariège.
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However, the State of the Pyrenees could well be unified by special animation at these UN sites. The Andorran minister cites guides trained in this common history “who would make you want, by visiting the castle of Foix, to complete by visiting” the principality, a shared cultural season, mountain races on the paths which connect the three countries… ” There are a lot of possibilities, and that’s what the management plan should work towards.”
How do you register a site as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
The inclusion of a monument or sires as a UNESCO world heritage site is worth it! And the process can take many years, even longer if we do not respect the criteria requested by the international body. “When a property wishes to be listed, the country must first include it on its indicative list, this is a way of ranking,” indicates Michel Roussel.
The next step is that of the declaration of universal value: “broadly speaking, we can say that it is necessary to demonstrate to what extent the monument has a universal and not a local value. In our case, the declaration of universal value, c “is to show how the organization of Andorra, with its two co-princes, is totally unique, and this stage has been successfully completed”, supports the director of the Drac, who indicates that for this candidacy, twelve sites, “constituent of this universal value”, have been delimited. This is also when the property management plan comes into play, a stage at which all three countries are.
Once the file has been compiled and submitted, it passes under the watchful eye of three international organizations, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Center for study for the preservation and restoration of cultural property (ICCROM); they “provide the World Heritage Committee with evaluations of the cultural and natural sites proposed for inscription,” indicates Unesco.
When the site(s) have been evaluated, the Intergovernmental World Heritage Committee comes into play, to judge whether the candidates have outstanding universal value and satisfy one of ten selection criteria, such as “representing a masterpiece of creative genius human”, “offer an eminent example of a type of construction or architectural or technological ensemble or landscape illustrating one or more significant periods of human history”, or “represent natural phenomena or areas of ‘outstanding natural beauty and aesthetic importance’.
