Walter Finch
AN eighteenth century street lined with grand mansions, carved stone doorways and wrought-iron balconies is causing controversy over claims that it is officially the most beautiful in Europe.
The town of Osuna in Sevilla in Andalucia is home to Calle San Pedro, which has long been admired for its elegant Baroque architecture and noble past.
Posts circulating on social media in recent weeks have declared that UNESCO has crowned the avenue as Europe’s finest.
The praise is not hard to understand.
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San Pedro Street is flanked by 18th century palaces that once housed some of Spain’s most powerful families, with ornate facades and intricate ironwork that have made it one of Andalucia’s most photographed thoroughfares.
It even appeared in Game of Thrones, underlining its cinematic appeal.
But while the avenue is rightly celebrated, there is no evidence that UNESCO has ever bestowed such a title.
The organisation does list World Heritage Sites across Spain, including the historic centres of Cordoba, Sevilla and Ubeda, but it does not award prizes for ‘most beautiful street’.
The mix-up appears to stem from years of tourism promotion and travel features.
Euronews once described San Pedro Street as ‘a contender for the most beautiful street in Europe,’ and local guides have frequently echoed that sentiment.
Over time, the description has been exaggerated into an official-sounding UNESCO declaration.
For Osuna, however, the attention is welcome. Whether crowned by UNESCO or not, San Pedro Street continues to enchant visitors and may now attract even more thanks to the viral debate.
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