12-18-2024 12 Valencian World Heritage Sites

Even if you always come to spend your holidays on the beach in Oliva, Valencia, you might not know that the Valencian Community boasts 12 World Heritage Sites! In this article, we’ll show you what they are!

World Heritage or World Heritage Site (the latter being the correct term, even if the former is more commonly used) is a title granted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

It aims to promote the identification, protection, and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world that is deemed especially valuable to humanity. This objective is part of an international treaty known as the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO on November 16, 1972.

So, which ones do we have in Valencia?

1. The Silk Exchange of Valencia (La Lonja de la Seda). Declared a World Heritage Site in 1996.

2. The Palm Grove of Elche (El Palmeral de Elche). Declared a World Heritage Site in 2000.

3. The Mediterranean diet. Declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013.

4. The Mystery Play of Elche (El Misteri d’Elx). Declared Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001.

5. The Festivities of the Mare de Déu de la Salut in Algemesí. Declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011.

6. The Fallas of Valencia. Declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.

7. The Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin. Found in some areas of the Levantine region of the Iberian Peninsula, it was declared a World Heritage Site in 1998.

8. The dry stone construction technique. Declared a World Heritage Site in 2018.

9. The Drum Festivals of Alzira and L’Alcora (Tamboradas). Declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018.

10. The Water Tribunal of the Plain of Valencia (Tribunal de las Aguas). Declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

11. The “Maerà” of Antella and Cofrentes. Declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022.

12. The manual ringing of bells. Declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022.

Next time you rent a house on the beach in Oliva, you can plan a tour to visit them all!