UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cape Verde
Cape Verde has 1 site on the UNESCO World Heritage List (1 cultural), the first inscribed in 2009 (Cidade Velha). The map below plots it alongside the rest of the List, and each site is written up in full further down the page.
- World Heritage Sites
- 1
- Cultural
- 1
- Natural and Mixed
- 0
- First Inscribed
- 2009
Map of World Heritage Sites in Cape Verde
CulturalNaturalMixedIn DangerLarge dots are in Cape Verde. Click a dot to read about the site.
Cidade Velha
Cape Verde · 14.9167° N, 23.6042° W · 2 km² · 9 km from Praia
Cidade Velha ([siˈdadɨ ˈvɛʎɐ], Portuguese for "old city", also: Santiago de Cabo Verde) is a city in the southern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. Founded in 1462 by Portuguese traders, it is the oldest settlement in Cape Verde and its former capital. Once called Ribeira Grande by the Portuguese colonists, they changed its name to Cidade Velha in the late 18th century after relocating the capital to Praia. It is the seat of the Ribeira Grande de Santiago municipality.
Located on an island off Africa's northwest coast, this town was the first European colonial settlement in the tropics. Some of the meticulously planned original design of the site is still intact, including a royal fortress, two churches and a 16th-century town square. Today, Cidade Velha is an Atlantic shipping stop and centre for Creole culture. The city became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is designated in 2009 as one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Origin in the World.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Cidade Velha (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Cidade Velha Is Listed
- (ii)
- An important interchange of human values.
- (iii)
- A unique testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation.
- (vi)
- A direct association with events, ideas or beliefs of universal significance.
More about Cidade Velha
UNESCO's Description
The town of Ribeira Grande, renamed Cidade Velha in the late 18th century, was the first European colonial outpost in the tropics. Located in the south of the island of Santiago, the town features some of the original street layout impressive remains including two churches, a royal fortress and Pillory Square with its ornate 16th century marble pillar.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
Geography
Cidade Velha is situated on the south coast of Santiago, at the mouth of the river Ribeira Grande de Santiago. It is 10 kilometres (6 miles) west of the capital Praia. City subdivisions include Largo Pelourinho, São Sebastião, Santo António, and São Pedro.
Climate
Cidade Velha has a hot arid climate (Köppen BWh). Its average annual rainfall is 201 millimetres or 7.91 inches, and its average temperature is 25.2 °C or 77.4 °F. The coolest month is January (average 23.0 °C or 73.4 °F) and the hottest is October (average 28.0 °C or 82.4 °F).
History
The island of Santiago was discovered in 1460 by António da Noli, a Genoese in Portuguese service. Da Noli settled in 1462 at Ribeira Grande with his family members and Portuguese colonists from Algarve and Alentejo. The site had good conditions, as there was abundant water from Ribeira Grande. This gave it an advantage over the other settlement on Santiago, Alcatrazes.
The settlement became a key port of call for Portuguese colonisation in both Africa and South America. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was a centre of maritime trade between Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, Brazil, and the Caribbean. Due to its proximity to the African coast, it was an essential platform for the trade in enslaved Africans.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Cidade Velha (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Visiting Cidade Velha
Cidada Velha is a city on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. It is the oldest European city in the Tropics. This is an easy half-day trip from Praia although there probably won't be enough interest to keep you there any longer. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2009.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Cidade Velha (CC BY-SA 4.0).
World Heritage in Cape Verde: Quick Answers
- How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Cape Verde?
- Cape Verde has 1 World Heritage Site: 1 cultural.
- What was the first World Heritage Site in Cape Verde?
- Cidade Velha, inscribed in 2009.
- Are any World Heritage Sites in Cape Verde in danger?
- None of the World Heritage Sites in Cape Verde is on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.