Year: 2013

Domus Aurea

Discover Domus Aurea in Rome, Italy: The insane pleasure dome of ancient Rome's lunatic emperor still holds the undiscovered secrets of his mad imagination.

Basilica of St. Pius X

Discover Basilica of St. Pius X in Lourdes, France: Beneath the city of Lourdes, France is a massive, concrete church.

Fontaine de Vaucluse

Discover Fontaine de Vaucluse in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, France: Even France's favorite aquatic son Jacques Cousteau, couldn't get to the bottom of it.

Notre Dame du Raincy

Discover Notre Dame du Raincy in Le Raincy, France: 1920's reinforced concrete church by architect Auguste Perret changes the face of modern design.

Museum of the Beast of Gevaudan

Discover Museum of the Beast of Gevaudan in Saugues, France: An unsettling shrine dedicated to the ravenous beast that prowled 18th-century France.

Les Loups du Gevaudan

Discover Les Loups du Gevaudan in Saint-Léger-de-Peyre, France: A sanctuary for wolves in a community which once trembled in fear of the murderous "Beast of Gévaudan.".

Heart of the Dauphin

Discover Heart of the Dauphin in Saint-Denis, France: The mummified heart of Louis XVII, the lost dauphin of the French Revolution.

Chapelle de la Santonne

Discover Chapelle de la Santonne in Apt, France: One man's desire to transcend art led to the construction of this outsider chapel.

The House Without Stairs

Discover Maison sans Escalier (The House Without Stairs) in Saint-Étienne, France: An architectural oddity of six stories, accessed by graceful ramps.

Forteresse de Mimoyecques

Discover Forteresse de Mimoyecques in Landrethun-le-Nord, France: Underneath a chalk hill in France lies what Hitler hoped would be the underground launching base for a devastating new weapon.

Le Droit Humain Masonic Lodge

Discover Le Droit Humain Masonic Lodge in Paris, France: The historic Masonic Lodge in which the first-ever female Mason was initiated.

La Cave des Roches (Mushroom Caves)

Discover La Cave des Roches (Mushroom Caves) in Montrichard Val de Cher, France: Miles of man-made caves and tunnels are currently used for cultivating mushrooms.

Bibliotheque Mejanes

Discover Bibliotheque Mejanes in Aix-en-Provence, France: A French library that makes sure its love of books is writ large… giant in fact.

Marville Ossuary

Discover Marville Ossuary in Marville, France: The remains of 40,000 humans, meticulously stacked in a tiny churchyard shed.

Testut-Latarjet Museum

Discover Testut-Latarjet Museum in Lyon, France: Nicknamed the "Museum of Horrors," this French anatomical collection has been fascinating visitors for over a century.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 261 ii
To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design. 480 iii
To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared. 514 iv
To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history. 642 ix
To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals. 137 v
To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change. 172 vi
To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria). 256 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 151 viii
To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features. 98 x
To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. 168

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