Sardinia's Neolithic Domus de Janas Inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage
On July 12, 2025, the Domus de Janas of Sardinia received a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Paris. Titled "Funerary Traditions in the Prehistory of Sardinia: the Domus de Janas," this recognition falls under criterion III of the 1972 Convention. These rock-cut hypogean tombs illustrate the burial customs of Neolithic communities in Sardinia, dating from the 5th to the 3rd millennia BCE. The site encompasses necropolises associated with villages and cult locations, with activity persisting into the Nuragic period. The initiative was backed by CeSIM Sardegna, the Municipality of Alghero, the Region of Sardinia, and Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Italy now boasts 61 UNESCO sites.
Key facts
- Domus de Janas inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage on July 12, 2025
- Recognition occurred during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris
- Site title: 'Funerary Traditions in the Prehistory of Sardinia: the Domus de Janas'
- Inscribed under criterion III of the 1972 Convention
- Domus de Janas are rock-cut hypogean tombs known as 'fairy houses'
- They represent the largest underground funerary architecture in the western Mediterranean
- Tombs date from the 5th to 3rd millennia BCE, used until the Nuragic age
- Italy now has 61 UNESCO sites, the most in the world
Entities
Institutions
- UNESCO
- World Heritage Committee
- CeSIM Sardegna Association
- Network of Municipalities of the Domus de Janas
- Municipality of Alghero
- UNESCO Office of the Ministry of Culture
- Ministry of Culture
- Directorate of Museums
- Region of Sardinia
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Permanent Representation of Italy to UNESCO
Locations
- Sardinia
- Italy
- Paris
- France
- Alghero