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Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches

Spain
Factors affecting the property in 2010*
  • Housing
  • Legal framework
  • Management activities
  • Management systems/ management plan
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Project to construct a new bridge over the river Rio Adajo  (issue resolved) 
  • Urban pressure : re-designing of the Plaza Santa Teresa, located between the town walls and the extra-muros Church of San Pedro, including the replacement of traditional buildings with new ones
  • Lack of buffer-zone and integrated management plan
  • Inadequate legal protection;
  • Inadequate respect of the Operational Guidelines (para. 172) before construction and refurbishment were undertaken.
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2010
Requests approved: 0
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 2010**

March 2005: joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS mission.

Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2010

Current conservation issues

On 1 February 2010, the State Party submitted a report concerning the progress of the works related to the development of the integrated Management Plan for the Old Town of Àvila with its Extra-Muros churches.

This report states that a first draft of the Special Management Plan of the registered property and its buffer zone is at the stage of revision and discussion. The plan will be based on a detailed analysis of the outstanding universal value attributes and the link between all components, in the context of their contribution to the town as an entirety.

A meeting with the Mayor of Àvila and the Director of the World Heritage Centre took place at UNESCO on 26 March 2010 to discuss the planned development of an underground car park, with a capacity of about 300 vehicles, integrated into the slope of the Northern town’s wall. The aim of the new car park is to reduce traffic in the Old Town of Àvila and accompany the revitalization of the green belt surrounding the town wall. The documentation was received the 14 April 2010 and is being evaluated by ICOMOS.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2010
34 COM 7B.101
Old Town of Avila with its Extra-Muros Churches (Spain) (C 348bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-10/34.COM/7B.Add,

2. Recalling Decision 33 COM 8B.53, adopted at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009,)

3. Notes the progress of the property's Management Plan and the documentation submitted concerning the car park project, which is being evaluated by the Advisory Body;

4. Refers the examination of the buffer zone suggested for the Old Town of Àvila and its Extra-Muros Churches, Spain, to the State Party, in order to allow it to finalize the property's Management Plan;

5. Requests the State Party to provide three printed copies and an electronic version of the management plan to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2011;

6. Also requests the State Party, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, to not take any decisions concerning the car park project submitted by the State Party to the World Heritage Centre, until receiving comments from ICOMOS concerning this project.

34 COM 8B.60
Cultural Properties - Examination of minor boundary modifications - Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches (Spain)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Documents WHC-10/34.COM/8B and WHC-10/34.COM/INF.8B1.Add,

2. Refers the proposed buffer zone for the Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches, Spain, back to the State Party in order to allow it to finalize the management plan for the property and to develop a retrospective Statement of Outstanding Universal Value as the basis for the management plan;

3. Notes that further progress has been made in developing a detailed management plan that will respond to the needs of the city in terms of protection of the built fabric and to the need to sustain and enhance the social and economic framework of the city

4. Considers that the management plan should be based on an agreed Statement of Outstanding Universal Value that must be primarily based on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property that was recognised at the time of inscription. Whereas other values might well have been identified since inscription in response to changing ideas of heritage and can be the subject of the management plan, there is a need to differentiate between the Outstanding Universal Value, which is non-negotiable, and other values.

Draft Decision: 34 COM 7B.101

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-10/34.COM/7B.Add,

2. Recalling Decision 33 COM 8B.53, adopted at its 33rd session (Seville, 2009,)

3. Notes the progress of the property’s Management Plan and the documentation submitted concerning the car park project, which is being evaluated by ICOMOS;

4. Refers the examination of the buffer zone suggested for the Old Town of Àvila and its Extra-Muros Churches, Spain, to the State Party, in order to allow it to finalize the property’s Management Plan;

5. Requests the State Party to provide three printed and electronic versions of the Management Plan to the World Heritage Centre by 1 February 2011;

6. Also requests the State Party, in conformity with paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, to not take any decisions concerning the car park project submitted by the State Party to the World Heritage Centre, until receiving comments from ICOMOS concerning this project. 

Report year: 2010
Spain
Date of Inscription: 1985
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (iii)(iv)
Documents examined by the Committee
arrow_circle_right 34COM (2010)
Exports

* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.


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