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Italy Adds Two More UNESCO Sites: Mantua and Sabbioneta and the Rhaetian Railway

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Time to add two more Italian sites to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In July, UNESCO inscribed the Po Valley towns of Mantua and Sabbioneta and the Rhaetian Railway, which passes through the Swiss Alps into Tirano, Italy. Both new sites are located in the region of Lombardy.

Palazzo Ducale in Mantua/Mantova
Palazzo Ducale in Mantua/Mantova

Mantua (Mantova) and Sabbioneta were selected for their Renaissance town planning, with the former being an example of an irregular layout while the latter “represents the implementation of the period’s theories about planning the ideal city.”

The Rhaetian Railway, which was opened in 1904, made the list because it is an outstanding example of monumental railway architecture which crosses through Italy and Switzerland on the Albula and Bernina lines.

Rhaetian Railway video via UNESCO

Now with 43 city centers, monuments, and other cultural locations on the UNESCO List, Italy is one of the leading countries of “World Heritage” sites.

Last updated on May 21st, 2021

Post first published on September 4, 2008

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