Page 206 - UNESCO_Zatec_2021_A4

1. PALMERAL OF ELCHE: A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE 1. HACIENDA CHUAO (TL)
INHERITED FROM AL-ANDALUS (WHL) The plantations in Chuao are more than 400 years
The landscape of the palm groves in and around the old, as the first references are from the 16 century.
th
Spanish city of Elche is a remarkable example of the Archaeological finds and monuments from the
deliberate implantation of a form of agriculture from one colonial period date from this period. Cocoa beans
region to another and also reflects an important episode (The obroma cacao) from this area are considered
in European history. to be the best and finest in the world, while at
the same time this type of cocoa bean is very rare
This world heritage site, of course, differs significantly and its occurrence is beginning to be endangered.
from the nominated hop landscape, but it was Techniques for tillage, harvesting (using machetes,
methodologically inspiring from the point of view of wicker baskets made in Chuao), fermentation and
seeking the optimal extent of the nominated landscape drying have remained the same for centuries. The
for Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops. In the case of beans are harvested twice a year and the beans are
the 'Elche', a much larger scale was originally proposed, traditionally dried in the courtyard of the Plaza de
Secado.
3. Justification for Inscription considered to include compact blocks of hop fields in mountains with very limited transport links),
but after consultation with ICOMOS, it was reduced to
a relatively compact landscape. With a similar objective,
In Chuao County (located in the middle of the
the boundaries of the rural landscape component were
a history-proven natural environment, and where the
a significant part of the population, especially
women, is employed in the cocoa "sector", men make
future of hop gardens in this location could be guaranteed.
The visually compact landscape of palm groves has
a living from fishing. The valley was not originally an
slightly similar features as the rural component of the
ideal place for growing cocoa, it is too dry, so the
villagers irrigate the plantations several times a year
nominated property with its many hop fields.
by diverting the flow of the river, whose springs flow
X. COCOA PLANTATIONS
the soil with minerals, and this gives the crop a key
difference in taste.
The cocoa beans from which cocoa is made are
obtained from berries that grow directly from the from the mountains. Sediments from the river enrich
trunk or thicker branches of a tree called the cacao Chuao is a high-quality example of a landscape of
206 tree. The cacao tree is an evergreen, native to the its type, representing the production of cocoa beans
tropical regions of South America, which now grows in in North Latin America in a community that is the
the tropics around the world. It originally grew in the successor to slaves from Africa who preserved their
undergrowth of rainforests, where it had ideal shade, culture. Production activities and social life take
temperature and the optimal amount of water. All place around historic buildings, the most important
these "conditions" must also be met today, so cacao of which are the church, the Casa del Alto (the
can only be grown in the tropical zone around the administration building), the Patio (located in the
equator, between 20° north and south latitudes, up middle of the city and where cocoa beans are dried)
to an altitude of 500 m above sea level, and a cultural and Cruz el Perdon; the property thus has important
landscape which will represent this crop on the ethnic attributes.
World Heritage List should have this characteristic of
optimal location. Local customs (especially the singing of traditional
songs) during the harvest are also typical to the
The cacao tree grows in the rainforest to a height of 15 specifics of the area. Since 2012, Los Diablos
m, (on the plantations "left" to grow "only" to a height Danzantes has been on the Representative List of the
of 10 m) and its trunk reaches a diameter of 30 cm. The Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
cacao tree blooms for the first time after 5 years, but it
is only able to keep fruit suitable for harvesting from It has only a few features in common with the
9 years onwards. The average harvest from one tree nominated Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz
is 20-30 fruits, i.e. about 2 kg of cocoa beans per year. Hops property; these are the exceptional and
The fruit of cacao trees ripens for about 6 months, internationally recognized quality of the local crop,
which means that the plantations usually have one the need to dry it and the emphasis on identity
main harvest and several intermediate harvests. In associated with certain seasonal processes.
Africa, the main harvest lasts from October to the end Otherwise, it is a completely different type of
of February, intermediate harvests take place from landscape and buildings associated with post-
May to July. In Brazil, the main harvest lasts from harvest treatment of crops and, in essence, the
April to July and the intermediate harvests until the different cultural and historical context of both
end of the year. In Ecuador, the main harvest takes localities.
place from March to May. With good care, the cacao
tree can bear fruit for 30, 40 or more years.