A World Heritage

The 2 december 1998, the UNESCO has inscribed the cultural object in series "Routes of Saint-James-of-Compostela in France" on the World Heritage List. Its exceptional universal value is thus defined :

"Throughout the Middle Ages, Santiago de Compostela was a major destination for numerous pilgrims from all over Europe. To reach Spain, the pilgrims had to pass through France. Four symbolic routes depart from Paris, Vézelay, Le Puy and Arles and cross the Pyrenees, joining the numerous itineraries taken by the travellers. Pilgrimage churches, simple sanctuaries, hospitals, bridges, roadside crosses bear witness to the spiritual and physical aspects of the pilgrimages. Spiritual exercise and manifestation of faith, the pilgrimage has also influenced the secular world in playing a decisive role in the birth and circulation of ideas and art."

This inscription is materialized by a selection of 71 monuments and 7 sections of trail, distributed in 10 French regions. It illustrate the medieval pilgrimage, mainly through the devotion to Saint James and other saints, hospitality, and the solutions for overcoming obstacles.  Registered as a collection, this property, considered as a unique property, implies a solidarity management carried by a network organization, arouind common values.