A true technical feat, the construction of the Pont du Gard required the labor of an estimated thousand men, who worked for nearly five years to fulfill the Roman Empire's dream of grandeur.
It is the highest bridge ever built in ancient times. To create the central arch spanning the Gardon River, they built one of the largest wooden centering structures in the world. It is the only example of a three-tiered aqueduct still visible today.

In 1985, the Pont du Gard was added to the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage List. This designation recognizes the Pont du Gard on a global scale, as it meets three criteria.
It is:
•    A masterpiece of human creative genius.
•    A unique and exceptional testimony to Roman civilization.
•    An outstanding example of a type of construction and architectural and technical ensemble, aqueducts, illustrating a significant period in human history, the Roman period.

World Heritage is a designation given to places or properties around the world that possess outstanding universal value. As such, they are inscribed on the World Heritage List in order to be protected so that future generations can continue to enjoy them. According to the convention established in 1972, all cultural and/or natural sites included on the World Heritage List must meet at least one of the ten selection criteria explained in the “Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention.” These criteria are essential and are regularly reviewed by the Committee to keep pace with developments in the concept of world heritage itself.

In October 2020, 194 countries had ratified the World Heritage Convention, thereby committing themselves to the protection and management of their properties, guaranteeing their authenticity and integrity. To date (February 2023), the World Heritage List includes 1,157 properties, divided into 218 natural properties, 900 cultural properties, and 39 mixed sites. France has 49 properties.
Since 2007, the Association of French World Heritage Properties has brought together the managers of French properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Keen to improve the quality of protection and promotion of their properties, they take part in discussions on public policy in France and cooperate with all cultural and natural sites in the international community that constitute universal heritage, while working to promote them.

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It aims to establish peace through international cooperation in education, science, and culture. After two world wars in less than thirty years, UNESCO was born out of a strong conviction: economic and political agreements between states are not enough to build lasting peace. It is necessary to unite peoples through cultural dialogue and mutual understanding. In 1972, the ratification of the Convention by countries enabled the implementation of an action plan for the conservation of sites of outstanding universal value. The Convention encouraged international cooperation and provided a framework for the financing and management of cultural and natural heritage preservation around the world. Thus, the World Heritage List was born.

Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage is an irreplaceable source of life and inspiration. What makes the concept of world heritage unique is its universal application. World heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, regardless of the territory on which they are located
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The issue of safeguarding humanity's assets first arose on the eve of the construction of the Aswan Dam in Egypt. Intended to produce electricity on a massive scale for the country, its construction would nevertheless cause the total flooding of part of the Valley, submerging in its wake some of the monuments of Nubia in southern Egypt, including the temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel and Philae. These monuments were true treasures of Egyptian civilization, and their impending disappearance sparked a real awareness of the danger facing all of the world's heritage sites. The Egyptian and Sudanese authorities quickly appealed to the international community for help in organizing a rescue operation. UNESCO responded by launching an exceptional campaign worth over $80 million, more than half of which was financed by some 50 countries. (ICOMOS) began preparing a draft convention on the protection of cultural heritage.

Over several months, the main temples were cut up, moved, and then reassembled higher up in the desert, far from the future flood zone. Thanks to this colossal undertaking, technicians and scientists enabled Egypt to save its heritage from destruction. 

Following this episode, UNESCO and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) began preparing a draft convention on the protection of cultural heritage.

Considering heritage in both its cultural and natural aspects, the 1972 Convention highlights the interaction between humans and nature, as well as the fundamental need to preserve the balance between the two.
Natural properties are natural monuments, geological formations, and natural areas that are exceptional from the point of view of science, conservation, or natural beauty. To ensure their preservation, the World Heritage Committee assesses the state of conservation of dozens of sites each year where threats to the integrity of the property may exist: the introduction of invasive alien species; the effects of climate change; overtourism and tourist infrastructure; and the overexploitation of natural resources. The next decade, 2021-2030, has been designated the “Decade of Ecosystem Restoration” by the United Nations. France's natural World Heritage sites will contribute to this, as well as to the Sustainable Development Goals and the National Biodiversity Strategy.
To learn more about the World Heritage Convention, visit the official UNESCO website.