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Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture
Site number:
1117
Type of site: Cultural
Date: 15th century
Date of Inscription: 2004
Location: Europe, Portugal, Azores
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Six official UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
Other languages: Portuguese
Description: Containing a notable pattern of spaced-out, long linear walls flowing inland from, and parallel to, the rocky shore is the 987-ha site on the volcanic island of Pico (the second largest in Azores archipelago). The walls were erected to defend the many tiny, contiguous, rectangular, plots (currais) from wind and seawater. The origins of this viniculture date back to the 15th century; evidence of it activity is manifested in the astonishing compilation of the fields, houses and early 19th century manor houses, in wine-cellars, churches and ports. The site’s extraordinarily beautiful man-made landscape is the finest still enduring area of a once much more prevalent practice. --WHMNet paraphrase from the description at WHC Site, where additional information is available.
  The vineyard is divided into plots (currais) protected by walls (paredes, murinhos). The walls are build with basalt blocks that have been weathered and broken up and stacked without mortar. Viniculture dates back to the 15th century. --Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1117
Reference: 1. UNESCO World Heritage Center, Site Page.
 
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