If the concept of World Heritage is recent, the idea of surveying the masterpieces of human effort is ancient…  Lodging somewhere in the collective memory, the mythical list of the Seven Wonder of the World celebrated the highest achievements of Antiquity… There have been numerous additions to this list of Wonders - often governed by the symbolism of the number ‘7’….
The idea of proposing a multiple declination was the departure point for this book: not just ‘7 Wonders’, but 7 x 7 man-made or natural, terrestrial or cosmic, antique or modern Wonders…

To give body to this idea, it has been necessary to commence with the celebrated ‘original list’: the Great Pyramid of Kheops, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Epheseus, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the Lighthouse of Alexandria… These masterpieces constitute an ideal departure point, although many ‘monuments’ ended up being eliminated: the Colosseum, Solomon’s Temple, the City of Thebes… even Noah’s Ark!  Such achievements have almost all disappeared, but their dream-like and nostalgic aspect has continued to resonate down through the ages.
With the passing of time, man ceaselessly built and pushed ever further; the human impulse to leave a trace of its monumental vision on earth - creating more and more wonders as technology advanced - continues to persist. In addition, nature provides Wonders - often even more impressive than man-made creations…