Cultural
Centre historique de Rome, les biens du Saint-Siège situés dans cette ville bénéficiant des droits d'extra-territorialité et Saint-Paul-hors-les-Murs
Vatican
Photo : Jean-Pol GRANDMONT (CC BY 4.0)
This property encompasses the historic centre of Rome and the properties of the Holy See within the city that benefit from extraterritorial rights, together with the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. The site represents an exceptional testimony to the development of human civilization over more than two and a half millennia, containing outstanding examples of religious and civic architecture from the Roman period through the Renaissance and Baroque eras. The inscribed area includes monuments such as the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, and Vatican City, which together document the evolution of urban planning, engineering, and artistic achievement across successive historical periods. The extraterritorial properties of the Holy See, including Saint Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums, reflect the spiritual and cultural significance of Rome as a centre of Christianity. The visual character of the site is defined by the layering of different historical periods across the urban landscape, where ancient Roman structures coexist with medieval churches and Renaissance palaces. This complex palimpsest of architectural styles and urban development makes the property an invaluable record of cultural continuity and change in Western civilization.
