The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes
Factors affecting the property in 2000*
- Storms
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2000
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 2000**
Information presented to the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in 2000
- Palace and Park of Fontainebleau Inscribed on the World Heritage List in1981
- Chateau and Estate of Chambord Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981
- Amiens Cathedral Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981
- Chartres Cathedral Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979
- Strasbourg- Grande Ile Inscribed on the World Heritage List in1988
- Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Rémi and Palace of Tau Reims Inscribed on the World Heritage List in1991
- Paris, Banks of the Seine Inscribed on the World Heritage List in1991
- Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay Inscribed on the World Heritage List in1979
- Palace and Park of Versailles Inscribed on the World Heritage List in1979
New Information: Following the December 1999 storm, the above-mentioned French sites inscribed on the World Heritage List were seriously damaged. The French authorities provided the Secretariat with information about the major damage and estimated costs of repair. The damage was particularly severe at the following World Heritage sites:
- Fontainebleau: material damages to the roofing, 800 trees uprooted in the English garden. Damage was assessed at an amount of FF 4 Million.
- Notre Dame de Paris: collapse of a number of outside sculptures. Damage was assessed at an amount of FF 22.2 Million.
-Palace and Park of Versailles: material damage to the roof of the Palace and severe damage in the Park. Damage was assessed at an amount of FF 250 Million.
The report was transmitted to ICOMOS for further advice.
Action Required
The Bureau may wish to examine information that will be provided at the time of its session and may wish to recommend the French authorities to submit a request for international assistance in this regard.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2000
24 COM X.C.1
The Loire Valley between Sully-sur- Loire and Chalonnes (France)
Property: The Loire Valley between Sully-sur- Loire and Chalonnes
Id. N°: 933
State Party: France
Criteria: C (i) (ii) (iv)
The Committee decided to inscribe this property on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv):
Criterion (ii): The Loire Valley is an outstanding cultural landscape along a major river which bears witness to an interchange of human values and to a harmonious development of interactions between human beings and their environment over two millennia.
Criterion (iv): The landscape of the Loire Valley, and more particularly its many cultural monuments, illustrate to an exceptional degree the ideals of the Renaissance and the Age of the Enlightenment on western European thought and design.
Chambord has been inscribed on the World Heritage List on the basis of criterion (i) alone. The revised State Party nomination incorporated this property into the cultural landscape of the Loire Valley. The Committee decided that criterion (i) is also applicable to this new inscription.
Criterion (i): The Loire Valley is noteworthy for the quality of its architectural heritage, in its historic towns such as Blois, Chinon, Orléans, Saumur, and Tours, but in particular in its world-famous castles, such as the Château de Chambord.
Members of the Committee commended the State Party for taking into account the recommendations of the Bureau.
France
* :
The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).
** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.
