EnglishThe World Heritage - a challenge for humanity
The campaign to save Abu-Simbel was the first step towards the Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972. This international treaty is based on the revolutionary idea to entrust humanity with the protection and preservation of outstanding cultural achievements and unique natural phenomena that are of outstanding universal value. The World Heritage Convention is a unique success story.
The World Heritage List includes 890 sites, of which 689 are cultural, 176 natural and 25 mixed. They are located in 148 countries.
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Convent St John in Müstair
For more than 30 years archaeologists have been researching the secrets of this 1200-year old monastery, probably founded by Charlemagne. Of outstanding value are the large early medieval cycle of wall paintings, from the 9th century, and the Romanesque imagery from the 12th/13th century. The Planta-Tower is said to be the oldest secular building still standing in the Alps. Important political, economical and religious outpost for the Carolingian empire and witness to the blooming of Christian culture, the convent is now a place of monastic life, cultural continuity, research and restoration.