Unesco Sunday added the iconic D-Day landing beaches in Normandy to its World Heritage List, marking the culmination of a project launched nearly two decades ago.
Stretching for more than 80km of France’s northwestern coast, Allied forces landed on the beaches on June 6, 1944 to fight a decisive battle to liberate Europe from Nazism and end World War II.
The nomination included the five D-Day beaches known by their code names: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. A dwindling number of veterans visit each year and world leaders congregate there on key anniversaries.
“This decision places a responsibility upon us,” said Herve Morin, president of the Normandy Region.
“It compels us to preserve this property, to protect it, to cherish it even more, and to promote its value,” he added.
The D-Day landings join more than 50 French sites already inscribed on the list, alongside the spectacular Mont Saint Michel island in Normandy and the Palace of Versailles.
Recognition of their “outstanding universal value” brings international renown and commits authorities to work toward their preservation.
Greece meanwhile welcomed the inclusion of Mount Olympus, its highest mountain, a protected nature reserve and, according to Greek mythology, home to the gods of antiquity, on Unesco’s list. The mountain is also one of Europe’s most biodiverse areas and home to rare wildlife.
“From today, the mythical Mount Olympus becomes a mountain belonging to all of humanity,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote on Facebook.
Unesco also accorded World Heritage status to 18 historic 18th and 19th-century condominium-style theatres in the Italian regions of Emilia Romagna, Marche and Umbria.
Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli Rome noted the decision to mark the theatres’ contribution to their regions’ cultural and social life “with pride and satisfaction.”
