Cultural
Ville historique fortifiée de Campeche
Mexique
Located on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, this fortified historic city represents a well-preserved example of Spanish colonial urban planning and military architecture from the 17th and 18th centuries. The site is characterized by its distinctive defensive walls, or murallas, which were constructed to protect the settlement from pirate attacks that threatened the Gulf coast. The city's layout reflects the colonial period, with a regular grid pattern of streets lined by colonial-era buildings featuring characteristic architectural styles of the epoch. The fortifications, combined with the historic center's intact street network and architectural ensemble, document the strategic importance of the settlement as a port city and administrative center during the colonial era. The site preserves substantial portions of its original urban fabric, including residential, religious, and civic structures that illustrate the cultural and commercial life of a colonial Gulf port community.
