Italy's Prosecco Hills become Unesco World Heritage site

The Conegliano and Valdobbiadene regions of northeast Italy have been added to the United Nations cultural organisation Unesco's World Heritage list, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

"The splendid Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, are the 55th Italian site inscribed in the Unesco World Heritage list," said Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi.

"The decision of Unesco's World Heritage Committee recognises the universal value of a unique cultural and agricultural landscape resulting from an extraordinary and knowing interaction between an excellence-oriented production and the nature of a fascinating territory," he added.

The announcement followed a unanimous vote on Sunday of the Unesco World Heritage Committee, meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, according to the statement.

Sitting just below the Alpine-Dolomite areas of Italy's Veneto region, the picturesque vine-clad slopes of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene produce the world's best Prosecco, an extra dry sparkling white wine, which has become the most popular Italian wine abroad.

Italy applied for world heritage status for Prosecco in 2018 but its bid failed by a few votes.