Property: The Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
Id. N°: 868
State Party: France
Criteria: C(ii)(iv)(vi)
The Committee inscribed the site on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii), (iv), and (vi):
Criterion (ii): The Pilgrimage Route of Santiago de Compostela played a key role in religious and cultural exchange and development during the later Middle Ages, and this is admirably illustrated by the carefully selected monuments on the routes followed by pilgrims in France.
Criterion (iv): The spiritual and physical needs of pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela were met by the development of a number of specialised types of edifice, many of which originated or were further developed on the French sections.
Criterion (vi): The Pilgrimage Route of Santiago de Compostela bears exceptional witness to the power and influence of Christian faith among people of all classes and countries in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Several delegates congratulated France on this inscription, particularly important for "itineraries", a very useful concept for the evolution of world heritage. The Delegate of France, responding to a question raised by the Delegate of Thailand, stated that his country was ready to examine a joint inscription of the two sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela with Spain.