Zagori Cultural Landscape - UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Brief synthesis

Zagori Cultural Landscape is located in the mountainous region of Epirus, in northwestern Greece. The property consists of a rural landscape where small villages known as Zagorochoria or Zagori villages extend along the western slopes of the northern part of the Pindus Mountain range. In this remote area characterised by a diversity of geological formations, flora and fauna, these traditional settlements underwent a transformation influenced by remittances sent by expatriates to fund private and public infrastructure during the 18th and 19th centuries. An impressive network of stone-arched bridges, stone cobbled paths, and stone staircases linking the villages in the present Municipality of Zagori formed a system that served as a political and social unit connecting the communities located mainly in Voïdomatis River basin. Zagorochoria are typically organized around a central square containing a plane tree. Each village showcases drystone cobbled pathways adapted to the topography, and some are still surrounded by sacred forests maintained by local communities. The central square is dedicated to community life, and functions as a centre for social gatherings and religious events. Combining natural and cultural elements, Zagorochoria exhibit a traditional architecture of limestone masonry that persists but has become vulnerable due to socio-cultural and environmental pressures.

Criterion (v): Zagorochoria, the traditional villages of Zagori Cultural Landscape, are an outstanding example of traditional human settlements where the characteristics of the stonework showcased in traditional buildings, stone bridges, stone paths, and stone staircases represent a distinctive culture developed in a remote mountain region. The vernacular architecture, urban structure, and public infrastructure of the villages have been influenced by an exchange with other areas of the Balkans, Central Europe, Russia, Asia Minor, and Constantinople, where Zagorisians practiced temporary migration. Zagorisians imported ideas and styles to their homeland and provided investments which enabled the development of this isolated area of the Pindus Mountain range. Zagorochoria are representative of the common legacy of Byzantine and Ottoman vernacular architecture of the larger Balkan region, a style that has become rare, but is still reflected in the traditional stone architecture and traditional village layouts of Zagori. Zagorochoria are vulnerable to depopulation, while facing the challenge of preserving traditional forms of architecture and building practices whilst serving modern residential needs (water supply, drainage, vehicular access) as well as the eventual development of tourism.

Integrity

The integrity of Zagori Cultural Landscape is based on the cultural and natural elements that characterise the group of small traditional villages that underwent a transformation influenced by remittances sent by expatriates to fund private and public infrastructure during the 18th and 19th centuries. These elements include traditional architecture of limestone masonry, a network of stone-arched bridges, stone cobbled paths, and stone staircases linking the villages, and associated rural mountain landscape features. The setting and the mountain topography, as well as the relationship between these environmental elements and the built environment, are also important attributes of the property. The dynamic functions and relationships between the architecture, the villages, and the landscape, as well as the rural heritage and the traditions associated with them (drystone walling, transhumance, sacred forests) are also necessary for the integrity of the property.

The values of the property can be discerned in their entirety whereas the distinctive features of the traditional villages have maintained their integrity due to the isolation of the area, the mild economic activities that have been implemented so far, as well as the protective framework that has been timely established. Nevertheless, the progressive loss of traditional activities, including agriculture, and livestock breeding, as well as natural reforestation had an impact on the former agropastoral setting and the wider landscape of Zachorochoria villages.

Authenticity

Zagorochoria constitute a rare example of authentic and well-preserved traditional settlements within a remote agropastoral landscape and a rich natural environment. The strict institutional framework for the protection of the cultural assets, the maintenance of the use of stone and wood as predominant construction materials, as well as restrictions on building standards regulations have contributed significantly to preserve the authentic character of the settlements of the property. Furthermore, traditional craftsmanship along with the use of authentic techniques and materials never ceased to be implemented – even in modern constructions – and have played an important role to the sustainable management of natural resources. Due to the vulnerable condition of these traditional practices, a sustainability strategy for the traditional masonry and building techniques and skills needs to be developed in order to maintain the traditional villages over the long term.

Protection and management requirements

The property is protected under Law 3028/2002 “On the Protection of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in General”, which is the primary legal mechanism for the protection of cultural heritage in Greece. The Law is enforced by the Ministry of Culture and Sports by means of the corresponding Regional Service. Local responsibility lies with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ioannina and its specialized departments for Prehistoric-Classical Antiquities and Byzantine Antiquities, and the Service of Modern Monuments and Technical Works of Epirus, North Ionian and West Macedonia.

The Presidential Decree for Zagori (1979, amended 1995) covers the traditional villages built before 1923 and encompasses the entirety of the Municipality of Zagori, dividing it into Zone “A” and Zone “B” according to the state of conservation and authenticity of the traditional architecture in the villages. This Decree also defines an Urban Control Zone that determines special conditions and building restrictions. It covers both the property and the buffer zone. The Decree is implemented by the Town Planning Department of the Municipality of Zagori, which is in charge of issuing construction permits with the advice of the Ministry of Culture and Sports’ competent Regional Services. The further safeguarding of the architectural values of Zagorochoria is underway through their declaration in total as a historical site in accordance with the very strict archaeological law and therefore they will be consequently subject to strict control and licensing procedures for all types of works and interventions. Documentation on the traditional villages and traditional buildings within the property needs to be prepared in order to create a baseline for the conservation and management of the property as a whole.

About ninety-three percent of the Municipality of Zagori is located within North Pindus National Park, which was established under Law 1650/1986 “On the Protection of the Environment”. The management Unit of the National Park, belonging to Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA) (Ministry of Environment and Energy) is responsible for administering and managing this protected area. A number of other laws protect the natural values of the property, including its forests, biodiversity, natural habitats, wild fauna, and flora.

A special Management Plan has been drafted taking into account national and European legislation, UNESCO policies for natural and cultural heritage, and the Sustainable Development Goals, as set out in Agenda 2030. In addition, a comprehensive conservation plan that considers all attributes of the property in a holistic way, namely, the stone-arched bridges, the historical paths and staircases, and the traditional villages, needs to be developed. The main body for the implementation of the Management Plan is the Municipality of Zagori through an Independent Department that will be established within its organization chart. It will be assisted by the Committee for the Preservation and Promotion of Cultural Landscape, which will include representatives of key stakeholders, cultural associations and productive organizations in the area, taking into consideration other designations, institutions, and levels of implementation that overlap with the property. Due to the complexity of the management system and diversity of managing institutions, rights-holders and stakeholders, for achieving an effective management of Zagori Cultural Landscape, an open debate platform will also be developed.