Top 20 Unesco Sites in

A complete tour of the Peninsula to discover the World Heritage

A Publication of Charmingitaly.com A real treasure to discover traveling, as a pilgrimage crossing almost all the Italian regions... According to the latest update at the meeting of the 37th , the list is composed of a total of 981 sites in the 160 nations of the world.

Italy, which with its cultural heritage, its cuisine and its landscapes, remains at the top of every traveler's bucket list, currently in first place in the World Heritage List of Humanity with 49 sites, it is the nation with the highest number.

The wealth of Italy lies therefore in the beauty and uniqueness of 49 sites divided between work of art, natural beauty and thousands of years old traditions. A set of assets, natural and cultural fact, that are enclosed in an inseparable way in the Italian landscape.

Being a UNESCO site does not just mean wonderful works of art or beautiful places being recognized as such by '"humanity", but the title conferred guarantees a level of protection and encourages the conservation of these unique and timeless treasures.

We have selected an 18 stage tour of Italy, including islands. For the islands, we dedicate a little extra time to better understand the language and tradition heritage. The tour concludes with an explanation of why the Mediterranean diet has been included in the World Heritage. Our selection

1. Residences of the Royal House 11.The tenors choir of Savoy 12.Historic Centre of 2. Santa Maria delle Grazie 13. Costiera Amalfitana 3. and its Lagoon 14. The Sassi and the Rupestrian 4. Churches of 5. Portovenere, , 15.The Trulli of , and 16. Castel del Monte 6. and its Po Delta 17. 7. Val d’Orcia 18. Agrigento Archaeological 8. Historic Centre of Area 9. Basilica of San Francesco 19. The Opera of the Puppets 10. di Barumini 20. The Mediterranean diet

RESIDENCES OF THE ROYAL HOUSE OF SAVOY Turin, Piemonte Turin, the heart of the Kingdom of Savoy for centuries, houses 14 magnificent royal residences that the Savoy family built between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

They are a tangible example of the genius of Baroque and Late Baroque art and architecture and are examples of the glitz and the "doctrine" of the absolute monarchy.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1997 Church and Dominican Convent Impressive work of of Santa Maria delle Grazie Renaissance art and architectural emblem of the Milan, Lombardia Catholic religion, the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie is inextricably linked to the fresco "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci, displayed in the refectory.

In this work of art, which represents a masterpiece of human creative genius, Leonardo da Vinci uses for the first time using a new technique that combines the Florentine spatial perspective and that produced by the chiaroscuro.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1980 Venice is one of the most Venice and its Lagoon beautiful places in the Venice, Veneto world, a treasure trove of the world's most famous lagoon. The city was founded in the tenth century is built on 118 small islands.

In the tenth century it became the greatest maritime power and still boasts one of the highest concentrations of masterpieces in the world.

Even in the smallest and most discreet historic building you can admire works by Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, to name just a few.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1987 Archaeological Area and the Founded in 181 BC as a military colony, Aquileia was Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia one of the largest and Aquileia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia richest cities of the ancient . Asserting itself as a river port trading and developing refined craftsmanship.

With the advent of Christianity it became a center of ecclesiastical organization and it was then that the patriarchal Basilica was built (1031).

Aquileia has a comprehensive archaeological area, but most of its ruins are still to be excavated.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1998 Portovenere, Cinque Terre, Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto Portovenere is an elegant holiday destination; Cinque Terre encloses the fishing villages of Monterosso, , , , ; the three islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto that are also part of the Portovenere Regional Park.

These colorful historic sites represent a significant example of the way that man can transform and shape the environment, while not altering the beauty of the landscape.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1997 In the Renaissance period Ferrara, City of the Renaissance, and thanks to the Este and its Po Delta family, Ferrara became one of the most enlightened and Ferrara, Emilia Romagna fascinating European courts, hosting works by Piero della Francesca, Jacopo Bellini and Andrea Mantegna. The entire region is involved in a renovation project and today still retains intact the old town.

Beyond the walls, in the territory of the Po Delta, the Delizie Estensi were built, about thirty villas and hunting retreats that testify to the influence of Renaissance culture that extends to the natural environment.

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Entry of Ferrara to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1995; and in 1999 the Parco del Delta del Po was also added Redrawn and developed when it was integrated in Val d’Orcia the city-state (14th and 15th , Toscana centuries), the Val d’Orcia comprises the whole countryside of Siena, its towns, villages, farmhouses; and the Roman Via Francigena and its associated abbeys, inns, shrines and bridges.

It still reflects an idealized model of good governance and can be described as an aesthetically pleasing picture. Its images, icons of the Renaissance, have profoundly influenced the development of landscape thinking.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 2004 Historic Centre of Urbino Urbino, Marche Nestled in the rolling hills of the Marche and is surrounded by a long brick wall, Urbino was a point of attraction for the most distinguished scholars and artists of the Renaissance, which have transformed its medieval past.

The splendor of its historic center has been preserved, a homogeneous and exceptional urban complex that has influenced the cultural development of the rest of Europe.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1998 The Basilica of San Francesco and Other Franciscan Sites is the birthplace of St. Francis, founder of the Assisi, Umbria Franciscan religious order.

It is a sanctuary town, associated since the Middle Ages to the universal message of peace and tolerance of the Franciscans.

Assisi houses frescoes by Cimabue, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and Giotto, the beautiful Basilica of San Francesco, which consists of two superimposed churches (the Lower and Upper) and a crypt dug in 1818 which houses the tomb of the saint .

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 2000 The historic city center Historic Centre of Rome and San encompassed within the Aurelian walls (to the left of Paolo Fuori le Mura the Tiber) and the Roma, Lazio Gianicolensi walls (to the right of the river), 25,000 points of environmental and archaeological interest.

From the Colosseum and the Pantheon to the urban projects of the Renaissance and Baroque; from the civil and religious buildings and their pictorial decorations to urban projects of modern times (Piazza del Popolo, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Navona), Rome has an incomparable artistic value, produced in almost three thousand years of history.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1980; 1990 extended to the Holy Seat Properties and San Paolo Fuori le Mura It is a 25 mile stretch of Mediterranean coastline Costiera Amalfitana home to colourful houses Campania perched on the rock face, stunning views and a number of towns such as Amalfi and Ravello with architectural and artistic works of great significance.

Its dramatic topography and historical evolution, has been settled by human communities since the early Middle Ages showing the versatility of the inhabitants in adapting their use of the land to the diverse nature of the terrain, which ranges from terraced vineyards and orchards on the lower slopes to wide upland pastures.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1997 In Basilicata, you can see the The Sassi and the Park of the amazing Sassi of Matera and Rupestrian Churches its Park, an outstanding example of a settlement cut Matera, Basilicata into the rock, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem.

The first inhabited zone dates from the Palaeolithic, while later settlements illustrate a number of significant stages in human history.

Up until the mid-20th century, living conditions in Sassi were absolutely appalling, but a huge relocation and restoration project has transformed them into an incredible site.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1993 Well-appreciated in the world The Trulli of Alberobello for their exceptional forms, Alberobello, Puglia the Trulli are prehistoric buildings characterized by a circular base, white dry stone walls, small windows, spectacular and characteristic conical roofs.

The Trulli of Alberobello create a whole urban area near and some of these limestone dwellings that are still standing today date back to the 1300s.

The about 1500 Trulli are still functional as houses, hotels and shops.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1996 The Trulli of Alberobello , Puglia

Located in the Communes of Andria and Corato (Bari Province), it was built by the Emperor Frederick II in the 13th century.

First of all, Del Monte Castle is a symbol of medieval military architecture. Perfectly preserved, it is enchanting due to details such as the rigor of its planning and layout, and the eclecticism of its cultural elements.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1996 Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Positioned off the northern Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi e coast of , the 7 islands Panarea that make up the archipelago are all of volcanic origin. They Aeolian Islands, Sicily are a paradise of beaches, coves, caves, inlets, cliffs, but also home to two active volcanoes, Stromboli and Vulcano.

Throughout history, the Aeolian Islands have been in constant evolution and their morphology.

The variety and richness of the seabed and geological aspects, have given volcanologists the opportunity to enrich their studies and broaden their knowledge.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 2000 Agrigento Archaeological Area Agrigento, Sicily Founded in the sixth century BC, the ancient city of Agrigento was one of the most important centers of the Mediterranean, a masterpiece of human creative genius.

The well-preserved Doric Temples are one of the most impressive traces of Greek civilization in Sicily.

The imposing white silhouettes dominate the valley, bearing witness to the grandeur and supremacy of the ancient city.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1997 The Opera of the Puppets Sicily

The Sicilian marionette theater “Opera dei Pupi” was proclaimed an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

Today, there are only a few troupes that maintain the tradition and still play the representation of Frankish romantic poems such as the Song of Roland or Orlando Furioso, that is one of the characteristic cultural traditions of Sicily.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 2001 Su Nuraxi di Barumini Barumini, Built sometime in the twelfth century BC, “Su Nuraxi" (Sardinian term for "The ") is the most complex and well-preserved megalithic edifice among the about 7.000 that you can find in Sardinia.

Most archaeologists assume they were used as religious temples, meeting halls, or military strongholds, but the use of these beehive-like buildings still remains unknown.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 1997 The Tenors Choir Sardinia It is an ancient choral singing in four parts: the soloist is entrusted with the "narrative" of the song based on folk tales; the other members accompanying with sound and song that differ stylistically from area to area.

The Tenors is a tradition that has been handed down through the centuries in Sardinia: the first evidence was found in a nuragic area in Barbagia and dates back to the seventh century BC

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 2005 This is the first food style in the world to be included in The Mediterranean diet the prestigious UNESCO list, Italy between cultural heritage and intangible heritage. The Mediterranean diet, as well as load-bearing aspect of Italian culture, is considered by scientists the most virtuous among eating lifestyles that guarantees a high level of wellness, based on a rich and balanced food regimen.

The diet or "lifestyle" consists of the knowledge transmitted from generation to generation and modes of interaction with the natural environment, the Mediterranean, where the fruits of the sea and of the earth for thousands of years have been the protagonists.

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Entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List: 2010 TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OUR EBOOKS!

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For further information: Unesco World Heritage Sites Photo Credits: Turismo Italia