Inscription Process
Accueil > Discover > The World Heritage Nomination: A Major Project Engaging an Entire Territory
For over ten years, the royal fortresses of the former seneschalty of Carcassonne have pursued a major ambition: to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage list → These monuments bear witness to a period of conflicts and architectural innovations that shaped history. This nomination process relies on a collective mobilization, bringing together elected officials, experts, and residents, all committed to a common goal: to protect, enhance, and transmit this exceptional heritage.
The project began in 2013 at the initiative of the Aude departmental council with the creation of a scientific committee tasked with studying the rich medieval military heritage of Aude and defining the most relevant approach for its inscription on the World Heritage list. This rigorous work led specialists to select seven fortresses which, combined with the ramparts and castle of Carcassonne, form an unparalleled example of a territorial defensive system from the 13th and 14th centuries built according to the principles of Capetian military architecture.
“This is a project for an entire territory that demonstrates both our ambition and our expertise.”
Hélène Sandragné, President of the Aude Departmental Council: “Their history has spanned centuries; they permeate the environment in which they are erected as much as they are influenced by it. Standing proudly on rocky peaks or at the top of steep cliffs, they are recognizable from afar and bear witness to an entire segment of human history. And beyond that, they are the pride of an entire population, from Aude and Ariège. These are the fortresses of Languedoc, conquered by the Kingdom of France after the Albigensian Crusade at the beginning of the 13th century, built upon the remains of ancient seigneurial castles in this defiant and recalcitrant territory.”
For these royal fortresses of Languedoc, we hold the noblest of ambitions: to achieve international recognition through their inscription on the World Heritage list!
This endeavor began over 10 years ago, specifically in 2013, and is expected to culminate in July 2026 with the decision of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
It is, above all, a partnership effort conducted with the municipalities and the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, owners of the serial property sites, and all public stakeholders gathered within the association dedicated to supporting the nomination: it is a project for an entire territory that demonstrates both our ambition and our expertise. We combine the scientific rigor of academia and research with the tenacious passion of local elected officials to sustain the rural areas where these fortresses are located. This exceptional cultural heritage is the pride of the people of Aude and Ariège and motivates our daily commitment to preserve and transmit it to future generations.
A Multi-Stage Process
After defining the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of this serial property, the dossier was presented to the State, which agreed in 2017 to include it on its Tentative List, meaning the inventory of properties that France intends to propose for World Heritage inscription.
From that moment on, state services (Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion) support the project leaders through a series of hearings conducted by the French World Heritage Committee, which mark the major steps towards the compilation of the final dossier.
The first hearing in 2017 validated the OUV, the chosen criteria, and the comparative analysis. Following this, it was recommended to the Aude Departmental Council to provide the nomination with its own governance structure involving all project stakeholders. The World Heritage Mission Association (AMPM) was therefore created in 2019. In 2020, a second hearing confirmed the good state of integrity and authenticity of the monuments and approved the method for defining the protection perimeters, the definitive boundaries of which were formalized during a third hearing in 2021. In 2023 and 2024, the management plan and the governance system of the property were studied. This final stage allowed for the dossier to be considered complete and ready for submission to the World Heritage Committee in January 2025. View the Dossiers and Annexes →
The Final Stretch Towards Inscription
After its official submission, the dossier enters an evaluation phase by ICOMOS, the International Council on Monuments and Sites. A panel of specialists is then appointed to review the dossier in chambers throughout the year. Concurrently, an expert is designated to conduct a site visit to specifically verify the integrity and authenticity of the monuments while checking the practical implementation modalities of the management plan.
Throughout the year, several exchanges and requests for clarification will take place between ICOMOS and the project leaders until the end of February 2026. The ICOMOS panel will then convene to draft its definitive opinion, which will be transmitted to the French authorities during May. The final decision will be announced in the summer of 2026, during the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee.
