A CENTURY OF CONSERVATION 

1933

The summit of the Puy de Dôme receives protection as part of a national list of natural monuments and sites 

1977

Creation of the Auvergne Volcanoes Natural Park  

2000

The Chaîne des Puys is added to the national list of natural monuments and sites

2007

Discussions launched by the Departmental Council of the Puy-de-Dôme

2008

Classification of the Puy de Dôme as a Grand Site de France

Feasibility study: meetings with local and international scientists and other experts

2009

A geologist from the IUCN notes the exceptional tectonic nature of the site

2010

The Chaîne des Puys-Limagne Fault is inscribed on the French tentative list

2011

The full application is submitted to the State for the national selection round

Signing of agreements to back the project

Inhabitants of the Puy de Dôme show their support for the project

2013

The Chaîne des Puys-Limagne Fault application is chosen by the State to represent France.

Start of an 18-month evaluation period by the IUCN.

2014

Decision by the World Heritage Committee at Doha (Qatar) to refer the site: the Outstanding Universal Value is recognised, but further material is requested.

21 scientific specialists actively back the application and its tectonic component.

1000 people form a human chain at the summit of the Puy de Dôme in support of the application.

2015

A group of independent experts, composed of three international geologists, validate the scientific content.

2018-2016

Compilation of supplementary documents.

In January 2018 President Emmanuel Macron visits the Puy de Dôme to show his support for the application.

In July 2016 there is a second referral decision by the World Heritage Committee in Istanbul (Turkey); the meeting is cut short by the coup d’état.

A last period of work to put together an in-depth international comparative analysis.

In May 2018 the IUCN approves the report.

2 Juillet 2018

The Chaîne des Puys-Limagne fault tectonic arena is inscribed on the World Heritage list on the basis of criterion VIII during the Committee meeting at Manama (Bahrain).

The World Heritage inscription process is composed of five steps :

  1. Inscription onto the national tentative list  
  2. National selection
  3. The World Heritage Centre checks that the application conforms to the requirements   
  4. An international advisory body (the IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature – for natural sites) evaluates the application
  5. The World Heritage Committee votes on whether to inscribe, refer, defer or not inscribe a site