Art Appreciation: World Heritage Architecture in Mainland Europe

We will examine some of the remarkable architectural sites in mainland Europe which have World Heritage status, taking in France, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Italy (including Sicily).

UNESCO’s listing of World Heritage sites in mainland Europe now includes some of the world’s most extraordinary and varied architecture. In France we will explore the magnificent cathedral at Chartres and the historic city of Lyon. In Spain, Granada’s palaces on the Alhambra. In Portugal the Jerónimos monastery in Lisbon. In Germany the Romanesque masterpiece of Speyer’s cathedral. And in Italy - Palermo and Monreale in Norman Sicily, the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan – home to Leonardo’s fresco of the Last Supper, and the city of Turin under the House of Savoy. The objectives of UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention of 1972 will be explained - including the issues of selection, conservation, and monitoring for developments which may threaten the cultural value of already listed sites. We will consider why these particular sites were chosen for World Heritage listing, and set this against the objectives of this designation under the World Heritage Convention. It will be note that sites continue to be monitored for their commitment to conservation, with the potential of withdrawal of listing if that is not sustained.