By Erin
Blakemore
Unless
things change, these historic sites could disappear from the map forever. In Europe,
cultural heritage—often dating back thousands of years—seems to be around every
corner in the guise of well-preserved and beautifully curated landmarks that
bring the continent’s history to vivid life. But not every landmark in Europe
is in as good of shape as, say, the Eiffel Tower or getting the attention that
ancient Pompeii is now receiving. If you look closely enough, you can see
places that are crumbling or actively endangered. In a bid to draw attention to
those cultural landmarks—and preserve them for future generations—Europa
Nostra, a European heritage organization, recently named seven cultural
landmarks and a special eighth “most-endangered” location as Europe’s most
on-the-brink sites.
Hasankeyf This
12,000-year-old city could soon be inundated thanks to a hydroelectric dam.
(Courtesy of Hasankeyf Matters)
Europa
Nostra's list crosses regions and even millennia. It was put together by a
group of international advisors with expertise in everything from history and
preservation to finance. Though the organization notes that the list is aimed
“to serve as a catalyst for action and promote ‘the power of example’”, it is
not a funding program.
That
doesn’t mean that the sites won’t receive funding and attention, however. Now
that the list has been released, Europa Nostra has assembled a board of
heritage and financial experts who will undertake what they call “rescue
missions” to each of the seven sites. Each mission will result in an action
plan to preserve the site for future generations, no matter what its condition
now. And organizations like Unesco are taking note as well.
For every
place that’s nominated for intervention, there are thousands more that go
unnoticed and unattended. In a release, Europa Nostra cites everything from
funding cuts to a lack of preservation expertise for the gaps that seriously
threaten the continent’s rich cultural heritage. Regardless of the reason, the
program sheds light on sites that might otherwise be ignored. Here are the
sites declared most endangered in 2016:
Venice
Lagoon (Venice, Italy)
Venice and
its lagoon are one—but the delicate ecosystem is threatened by development and
fishing. (Naoo Kumagai/AFLO/Aflo/Corbis)
Shocked to
see one of Europe’s most familiar sights at the top of the most-endangered
list? Don’t be. The bridges and buildings of the city of Venice are threatened
by rising seas, and the lagoon is in danger, too. The stretch of water doesn’t
just contain the famous canals—much of the 212-square-mile lagoon is made up of
sand banks and muddy wetlands, indeed, it holds the distinction of being
Europe’s largest wetland. The lagoon is under threat from climate change,
industrial fishing and a steady traffic of cruise and container ships. Europa
Nostra cites a local project to turn the lagoon into a commercial port as a
particular threat. It’s so important (and threatened) that the organization
gave it a “special nomination,” bringing the count of endangered landmarks to
eight instead of its usual seven.
Ererouk and
Ani Pemza (Armenia)
This
basilica dates back to the fourth century. (World Monuments Fund)
Located
near the border of Turkey and Armenia, the basilica of Ererouk dates back to
the fourth century and has been in a state of collapse for centuries. The
church’s remote location, as well as the devastating earthquakes it has faced
has contributed to its current dilapidated condition. According to Europa
Nostra, the once-important church is now “at risk of being lost before it has
been comprehensively studied and documented.” Also at risk is the village of
Ani Pemza a few miles away, which has been completely abandoned since a nearby
mine closed in 1994.
Patarei Sea
Fortress (Tallinn, Estonia)
Despite its
grisly heritage, the Patarei Sea Fortress in Estonia has simply been abandoned.
(Andres Tarto)
In 1820,
Tsar Nicholas I commissioned a sea fortress that would serve as a brutal prison
once Soviet Russia came into being. Both Estonian Jews and Soviet political
prisoners were interrogated, tortured and killed. “That is the reason why this
building has a particularly sad and horrible reputation and why it is difficult
to find a new use for it,” writes an Estonian heritage organization. The prison
wasn't closed down until 2005. Rather than find a use for it, it’s simply been
abandoned and is now filled with graffiti and crumbling architecture. “If no
emergency actions are taken to stop the rapid decay,” writes Europa Nostra,
“the buildings will be irreparably lost.”
Helsinki-Malmi
Airport (Helsinki, Finland)
Today, this
1930s airport is Finland's second-busiest. (Sampo Kiviniemi)
In 1940,
Helsinki was scheduled to host the Olympic Games—but World War II got in the
way, and the grand airport built to accommodate all of those visitors who never
materialized was never used for its intended purpose. These days, the airport
is Finland’s second busiest, but a development project that proposes it be shut
down and rezoned for residential use threatens its pre-war runways and
functionalist architecture.
Colbert
Swing Bridge (Dieppe, France)
Thousands
of vehicles and pedestrians use this 1886 bridge every day—but officials want
to tear it down. (Marie Claude Stefani / Dieppe's Colbert Bridge Protection
Committee (CSPC))
Back in the
day, movable “swing” bridges, which pivot to allow water traffic were the
height of modern innovation. But they’ve gradually fallen out of fashion, and
today the Colbert Bridge, which is Europe’s last and the longest of its kind,
has fallen into disrepair. Built in 1886, the bridge still works just fine, but
now it is endangered by shoddy maintenance and plans to destroy it. However,
the danger doesn’t keep thousands of pedestrians and cars from using the bridge
every day—the bridge is a lifeline between central Dieppe and the city’s Le
Pollet quarter.
Kampos of
Chios (Chios, Greece)
Once
studded with country manors and citrus gardens, this idyllic area has fallen
into disrepair. (Courtesy of Elliniki Etairia - Society for the Environment and
Culture)
Think of
Kampos as the lavish historic suburb of this lush Greek island. The area, which
is within the limits of the island’s main city, was once home to more than 200
fancy estates and fabulous garden orchards packed with citrus fruit. Vineyards,
nut orchards and silk trading rounded out the rich economy of Kampos as the
area changed hands between Genoese nobles and the Ottomans. But things changed
in the 19th century, when a Turkish massacre drove many Chians from the island
and a citrus freeze ruined the local economy. More recently, the beautiful area
has been in decline due to what Europa Nostra calls “the inability of the
owners to maintain the properties” and the gradual disintegration of the area’s
historic architecture.
Convent of
St. Anthony of Padua (Extremadura, Spain)
This
abandoned convent is the victim of wear and tear. (Courtesy of Hispania Nostra)
St. Anthony
has a special relationship with Spain—not only is he the patron saint of lost
and stolen articles, but his feast day on January 17 is a kind of national
holiday when people bring their pets to church to be blessed. It’s not
surprising, then, that a convent in western Spain would take the saint’s name.
But the once lovely Renaissance building has been on the decline since Spain
expelled the Franciscan priests who ran the convent and monastery and sold the
building. It’s been repurposed ever since, and is now in danger of simply
falling apart.
Ancient
City of Hasankeyf (Turkey)
This
12,000-year-old city could soon be inundated thanks to a hydroelectric dam.
(Courtesy of Hasankeyf Matters)
Located on
the banks of the Tigris River, this ancient city is 12,000 years old. Though to
be one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, it’s been home
to over 20 cultures over the millennia. And it shows: Hasankeyf is so packed
with archaeological treasures that Europa Nostra calls it “a living museum of
epic proportions.” But that may not be enough to keep the city safe: Despite
legal battles, the Turkish government plans to displace Kurdih locals and move
forward with a controversial hydroelectric dam project that will flood 74,000
acres of the precious city.
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