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Following the intense preparation work, started in 2004, with
the collaboration of the Basque Government and the Spanish
Government, on 13th July 2006, in the
Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, UNESCO’s World Committee
(made up of 400 members) through its Executive Committee
declared the Vizcaya Bridge a World Heritage Site. This
Declaration was unanimously approved by the members of said
Committee.
At the declaration ceremony, the Basque Government was
represented by the Director of its Heritage Department, Ms
Arantza Arzamendi, and the Spanish Government by the General
Director for Fine Arts and Cultural Assets, Mr Julián Martínez
and the Deputy Director for the Protection of Historic Heritage,
Mr Luis Lafuente. UNESCO’s Director of the World Heritage Centre
was the Italian representative, Mr Franccesco Bandarin.
UNESCO granted this recognition to the Vizcaya Hanging Bridge
based on the following criteria:
1.-
Considering the Bridge as a “spectacular and aesthetically
pleasant addition to the river estuary and an exceptional
expression of technical creativity reflecting a completely
satisfactory relationship between form and function. In other
words, a surprising work which perfectly combines beauty,
aesthetics and functionality.
2.-
It also considered that the Hanging Bridge “By developing the
shuttle mechanism and its fusion of iron technology with the use
of new steel cables it created a new form of construction
which influenced the development of bridges throughout the world
over the next three decades and exported the French and Spanish
technology”. As such UNESCO wishes to emphasise the Bridge’s
innovative nature from a technological point of view, and
its pioneering nature in this type of construction.
On 24th February, the Minster for Culture Ms Carmen
Calvo Poyato delivered the certificate proving that the
Vizcaya Bridge is on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites.
The Bridge’s declaration as World Heritage was registered
on 23rd May 2007 in the Property Register of
Portugalete. |