Talayotic Menorca is now officially the Spanish candidate as a World Heritage Site in 2022. The nomination took place this morning on the last day of the 87th Meeting of the Historical Heritage Council, held online on the 19th and 20th of November.
The general director of Fine Arts, María Dolores Jiménez Blanco; the president of the Balearic Islands Government, Francina Armengol Socias; the president of the Consell Insular de Menorca (CIM), Susana Mora Humbert; and the conseller of Cultural Affairs, Miguel Ángel María Ballester, announced the official appointment at a press conference. The conseller of Cultural Affairs thanked everyone involved for their enthusiastic support of the candidacy: "from this moment on, it is no longer just a Menorcan proposal, but one from all the autonomous communities and the Government of Spain itself to represent us all at Unesco’s World Heritage Committee". The president of the CIM added that: ”this candidacy represents much more than a badge. It is a recognition of the work done so far in the preservation of our environment and the values of our culture and heritage, as well as a commitment to continue working along these lines.”
An insular cyclopean odyssey
Once the designation as an official candidate has been obtained, the next step is the presentation of the new dossier, which bears the motto "Talayotic Menorca, an insular cyclopean odyssey", at the Unesco World Heritage Center on February 1st. This organism, based in Paris, is in charge of applying the Unesco World Heritage Convention of 1972 and, therefore, updating the list of cultural properties of unique, universal and exceptional value. With a total of 48 sites, Spain is the third state with the most properties inscribed on the World Heritage List.
This new and exciting Talayotic Menorca project presents the odyssey of a unique island culture, trapped between the sky and the sea. Built around the integration and harmonious relationship of prehistoric monuments with the natural environment of the island, the new candidacy is divided into nine territorial areas or components, which include 280 sites from the prehistoric period. They represent 21% of the archaeological sites in Menorca and an area of 3,527 hectors (excluding the buffer zone). These components show the most outstanding vestiges from the irruption of the Cyclopean constructions (1600 BC) until the decline of this culture that, coincides with the beginning of Romanization around 123 BC.
Talayotic Menorca thus constitutes a unique expression of cyclopean architecture that’s integrated with the living landscape of the present, an exceptionally well-preserved testimony of the Talayotic culture. As the conseller of Cultural Affairs highlighted: "The exceptional universal value of our proposal is not as much based on the exceptionality of the monuments, although we do have some very unique examples not seen anywhere else in the world, but on the great singularity of a small mediterranean island that’s home to a living archaeological landscape. Three characteristics make it really special: a great density of prehistorical assets, their exceptional state of conservation and the coexistence between the assets and their landscape, associated with the lifestyle of the Menorcan people who have inhabited the island up to this date.”
The Historical Heritage Council
Spain is one of the 193 states that have ratified the 1972 Unesco World Heritage Convention to date. As such, one of its missions is to propose new properties from its territory to be inscribed on the World Heritage List. The Historical Heritage Council is the body in charge of making this selection at the state level, after receiving the different proposals from the autonomous communities. The Ministry of Culture and Sports intends to hold the next face-to-face meeting of this council in Menorca, as long as the public health situation allows it.