Qwhen the World Monuments Fund speaks, the world of art and culture holds its breath. And this year too, the prestigious New York institution, which is dedicated to the protection of cultural and architectural sites of global importancehe had his say. The message it sends in 2025 is one of alarm and even goes beyond terrestrial borders: for the first time in historyIndeed, it is on the list of threatened places also the Moon.
World Monuments Fund: among the 25 sites to be saved, also the Moon, threatened by space tourism
Our satellite, silent witness to millennia of human history, risks turning into a playground for billionaires, with space tourism threatening to leave an indelible mark on its virgin surface. The moon alarm concerns the near future. While there are 24 sites on Earth for which the alarm is absolutely present and current.
Gaza and Ukraine, destroyed by wars
Starting from Gazaobviously, a network of ancient roads that saw Phoenician merchants and Roman caravans pass by risks disappearing under the bombs. These thousand-year-old roads, which once connected flourishing civilizations, are today reduced to destruction: they are a war zone.
Another place in the world that risks disappearing due to war isUkraine: the majestic Teacher’s House in Kievan architectural jewel that has trained generations of educators, stoically resists attacks, a symbol of the cultural resilience of a people under siege.
Gaza is destroyed and for the World Monuments Fund it must be saved so as not to disappear (Photo by Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images)
From Mongolia to China, mass tourism is destroying
Moving away towards Asia, in Mongolia the ancient Buddhist monasteries not at all threatened by the icy winds of the steppa, they are at risk due to mass tourism. These sanctuaries of spirituality are in danger, as are the cavesBuddhist churches of Maijishan and Yungang in China, where thousands of visitors risk compromising age-old balances.
The Buddhist caves of Maijishan and Yungang, in China threatened by mass tourism (Photo by Visual China Group via Getty Images/Visual China Group via Getty Images)
Africa in danger due to rising seas and indifference
Along the Swahili coastin East AfricaInstead, entire historic villages are fighting an unequal battle against rising seas. These communities, heirs of a commercial tradition that has intertwined African, Arab and Asian cultures, see their homes crumble under the assault of the waves.
While in Angola, the Cinema of Namibean extraordinary example of Portuguese colonial architecture, risks disappearing not under the blows of bombs, but of indifference.
In Europe, alarm for Belfast, Albania and Spain
As we get closer to home, a Belfast, the House of Congresssilent witness of Northern Ireland’s troubled years, languishes in a state of abandonment that threatens its survival. While in the Drino valleys, in Albaniamonasteries that have resisted centuries of history risk succumbing under the weight of unregulated tourism. In Spain, instead they are the ruins of Belchitea city-symbol of the Civil War, near Zaragoza, crumbling day after day, eroded by time and the lack of funds for restoration.
World Monuments Fund: don’t lose collective memory
On the list there is only a part of the 25 places in danger reported by the World Monuments Fund. A list that it’s not just a catalog of potential losses: it is a cry of alarm that crosses continents and cultures. From the depths of Chinese caves to the sands of the African coast, from the paved streets of Europe to the lunar soil, these places are world cultural heritagefundamental to our collective memory.
The World Monuments Fundwith its more than $120 million invested in conservation projects, is trying to reverse this trend. But time is running out, and these 25 sites are just the tip of the iceberg of an increasingly threatened heritage from wars, climate change and neglect. The challenge is clear: preserving these treasures is not just a duty towards the past, but an investment in the future of humanity.
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