Europa Nostra
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Europa Nostra (
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
for "Our Europe") is a pan-European Federation for
Cultural Heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by soci ...
, representing citizens' organisations that work on safeguarding Europe's cultural and
natural heritage Natural heritage refers to the sum total of the elements of biodiversity, including flora and fauna, ecosystems and geological structures. It forms part of our natural resources. Definition Heritage is that which is ''inherited'' from past gener ...
. It is the voice of this movement to relevant international bodies, in particular the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
, the
Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
and
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. It has consultative status with UNESCO and is recognised as an NGO partner.


Organisation and objectives

Europa Nostra's network covers almost 50 countries across Europe and beyond. It is composed of over 250 member organisations (heritage associations and foundations with a combined membership of more than 5 million people), 150 associated organisations (governmental bodies, local authorities and corporations) and also 1500 individual members who directly support the mission of Europa Nostra. Europa Nostra's main goal is to place heritage and its benefits in the mainstream of public consciousness and to make heritage a higher priority for public policy both at European and national levels. Its specific objectives are to promote, at a European level, high standards of quality in the fields of heritage conservation, architecture, urban and rural planning and to advocate a balanced and
sustainable development Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The des ...
of urban and rural, built and natural environment. Europa Nostra also seeks to highlight the importance of cultural heritage as a building block of European identity and as contributing to a strengthening sense of European citizenship. Its activities are coordinated by an International Secretariat based in
The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
(Netherlands) headed by Europa Nostra's Secretary General, Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović (Netherlands/Serbia). In several countries, the International Secretariat is assisted in its tasks by country representations. Europa Nostra's main activities are: # to act as a representative lobby for cultural heritage in Europe # to celebrate and promote excellence through the
European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards Europa Nostra (Italian for "Our Europe") is a pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, representing citizens' organisations that work on safeguarding Europe's cultural and natural heritage. It is the voice of this movement to relevant inte ...
; # to save Europe's historic monuments, sites and cultural landscapes which are in danger, and # to animate a network of cultural heritage stakeholders in Europe.


History

Europa Nostra was founded in 1963 on the initiative of
Italia Nostra Italia Nostra (''Our Italy'') is an Italian not for profit organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of the country’s historical, artistic and environmental patrimony. History The organization was formed on 29 October 1955, b ...
, as a response to the serious threat to the survival of
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
, caused by regular flooding. In 1991 it merged with the ''Internationales Burgen Institut'' (the International Castles Institute), itself created in 1949. World-renowned opera singer Maestro
Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...
(Spain) is Honorary President and its Executive President is
Hermann Parzinger Hermann Parzinger is a German historian who is a specialist in the culture of the Scythians. He has been president of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation since 1 March 2008 and the Executive President of Europa Nostra since 2018. Honours ...
(Germany). Previous presidents have been the Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón from Spain (2007–2009), the Prince Consort of Denmark (1990–2007) and
Hans de Koster Henri Johan "Hans" de Koster (5 November 1914 – 24 November 1992) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and businessman. De Koster attended a Gymnasium in Leiden from May 1927 until June 19 ...
from the Netherlands (1984–1990).


Lobby for cultural heritage

Acting as a European cultural heritage lobby, Europa Nostra seeks to secure adequate support for
cultural heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by soci ...
in various areas of European policy-making and funding. It advocates the need to take cultural heritage into consideration when formulating and implementing all European and national policies which have an impact – direct or indirect – on heritage. Europa Nostra also seeks to highlight the importance and the specific character of cultural heritage within the wider cultural and policy agenda of its international partners, the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
,
Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
, and
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. During its European Heritage Congress held in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
(June 2011), Europa Nostra and 27 other European and international networks and organisations active in the wider field of cultural heritage decided to set up the European Heritage Alliance 3.3. In March 2010, Europa Nostra opened a liaison office in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, whose task is to coordinate Europa Nostra's lobbying of EU institutions and other European and international bodies based in Brussels,
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
and Paris.


European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards

The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards reward excellence in
cultural heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by soci ...
conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...
, ranging from the restoration of buildings and their adaptation to new uses, to urban and rural landscape rehabilitation,
archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...
interpretations, and care for art collections. Moreover, it highlights research, dedicated service to heritage conservation by individuals or organisations, and education projects related to cultural heritage. The awards are supported by the
Creative Europe Creative Europe is a European Union programme for the cultural and creative sectors. In its first phase, going from 2014 to 2020, it had a budget of € 1.47 billion, which were expanded to € 2.44 billion in its second phase (2021-2027). His ...
programme. It has been organised by Europa Nostra since 2002. This awards scheme aims to promote high standards and high-quality skills in conservation practice and to stimulate trans-frontier exchange in heritage protection. By spreading the "Power of Example", the awards also aim to encourage further efforts and projects related to heritage throughout Europe. Europa Nostra is the main partner of "
The Best in Heritage The Best in Heritage is an international, annual survey of award-winning museum, heritage and conservation projects. The survey was launched in 2003 by the European Heritage Association from Zagreb under leadership from professor Tomislav S. Šola ...
", an annual presentation of awarded museum, heritage, and conservation projects, which takes place in the second part of September in the world heritage town of
Dubrovnik Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
(Croatia).


Heritage in Danger

Europa Nostra supports national and international campaigns for the preservation and rescue of Europe's heritage which is in danger. In January 2013, with the European Investment Bank Group, represented by the EIB Institute, it launched the
7 Most Endangered Programme The 7 Most Endangered Programme identifies endangered monuments and sites in Europe and mobilizes public and private partners on a local, national and European level to find a viable future for those sites. It was launched by Europa Nostra and the ...
, aiming to identify endangered monuments and sites in Europe and to mobilize public and private partners at the local, national, and European levels, to find a future for those sites, working as a catalyst for action. The 7 Most Endangered sites and monuments for 2013 were selected from a shortlist of 14 prepared by an international panel that reviewed 40 nominations from member organizations from 21 countries. In recent years, Europa Nostra has raised its voice to save endangered historic monuments, sites or landscapes in Europe, including: * The area of Rosia Montana (
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
, Romania) whose heritage and environment is threatened by a proposed open-cast
gold mine Gold Mine may refer to: * Gold Mine (board game) *Gold Mine (Long Beach), an arena *"Gold Mine", a song by Joyner Lucas from the 2020 album ''ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characteri ...
; * The Roman archaeological site of Allianoi (Turkey) threatened by the construction of an irrigation dam (today, the site has disappeared under water); * Mont Saint-Michel (
Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
, France) threatened by the proposed construction of giant
wind turbine A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year. ...
s having a negative visual impact on the cultural landscape surrounding the Mont; * Italian historic cities, mainly in the
Emilia Romagna Emilia-Romagna (, , both also ; ; egl, Emégglia-Rumâgna or ''Emîlia-Rumâgna''; rgn, Emélia-Rumâgna) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy, situated in the north of the country, comprising the historical regions ...
region, affected by the earthquakes in May 2012; * The Ancient City of
l'Aquila L'Aquila ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy. It is the capital city of both the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 70,967 inhabitants. Laid out within medieval walls on a hill in the wide valle ...
and the surrounding distinctive villages (
Abruzzo Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...
Region, Italy) threatened by various degrees of destruction or damage caused by the April 2009 earthquake; * The Ancient City of
Famagusta Famagusta ( , ; el, Αμμόχωστος, Ammóchostos, ; tr, Gazimağusa or ) is a city on the east coast of Geography of Cyprus, Cyprus. It is located east of Nicosia District, Nicosia and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. Duri ...
(Cyprus) threatened by neglect caused by on-going political conflict; * The remains of the Mediaeval Town Hall of
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
(Germany) as well as the city's historic gas lanterns both threatened by new infrastructure works; * The Piazza Sant'Ambrogio in
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
(
Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
, Italy) threatened by the proposed construction of an underground car-park; * The Ancient and Medieval Serb-Byzantine
Serbian Orthodox The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. The majority of the population in ...
Visoki Dečani monastery in Dečani (Republic of Kosovo) threatened by neglect and attack caused by on-going political conflict.


Pan-European Network

Europa Nostra serves as a platform for exchange for those concerned with heritage conservation, education, research, communication and interpretation. It enables heritage professionals, volunteers and supporters from all over Europe and beyond to meet, debate and inspire each other. It also engages with a wider range of stakeholders, be they policy makers, other European or international networks related to heritage, students and young heritage professionals or the public at large. Europa Nostra is a partner of Wiki Loves Monuments, the Wikipedia photo contest around cultural heritage. Europa Nostra organises an annual European Heritage Congress, including a public Forum on various heritage subjects that are of relevance to the whole of Europe. It also holds smaller-scale national, regional and local meetings and debates with heritage NGOs in different parts of Europe. In addition to this, Europa Nostra's Scientific Council organises an annual Colloquium to promote and coordinate the scientific study of ancient structures and fortified buildings in Europe.


Publications

Europa Nostra publishes an annual magazine restyled in 2010 with the name "Heritage in Motion" . This magazine contains articles related to cultural heritage actors and initiatives in the country or the city which hosts the annual congress of Europa Nostra. Its previous name was "European Cultural Heritage Review" . Europa Nostra's Scientific Council has also published a total of 64 volumes of its "Scientific Bulletin".


Membership

Europa Nostra is a non-profit organisation, which is financially supported by membership fees and donations, by the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
and other public bodies and private supporters and sponsors. Europa Nostra's membership is made up of different categories: * Any
non-governmental A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...
and
not-for-profit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
(e.g. association,
foundation Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...
or museum) working actively to safeguard the cultural and natural heritage at European, national, regional and/or local level can submit an application to become a Member Organisation. * Any public or private body not qualified to join as a Member Organisation (e.g. regions, cities, towns, governmental heritage agencies, educational institutions, tourism organisations and worldwide heritage organisation) can submit an application to become an Associate Organisation. * Individuals who wish to directly support Europa Nostra's action can become an Individual Member.


See also

*
Art conservation and restoration The conservation and restoration of cultural property focuses on protection and care of cultural property (tangible cultural heritage), including artworks, architecture, archaeology, and museum collections. Conservation activities include preve ...
* Convention for the protection of the architectural heritage of Europe * European Heritage Alliance 3.3 *
European Heritage Days European Heritage Days (EHD) is a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission involving all 50 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention under the motto, ''Europe: a common heritage''. The annual programme offers o ...
*
European Museum Forum The European Museum Forum is a museum organization under the Council of Europe. It is an independent, non-profit-making charity, registered in the United Kingdom and founded in 1977. The European Museum Forum organizes the annual European Museum ...
*
Global Heritage Fund Global Heritage Fund is a non-profit organization that operates internationally. Founded in California in 2002, its mission is to "transform local communities by investing in global heritage." To date, it has partnered with over 100 public and ...
*
Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict is the first international treaty that focuses exclusively on the protection of cultural property in armed conflict. It was signed at The Hague, Nethe ...
*
International Committee of the Blue Shield The Blue Shield, formerly the International Committee of the Blue Shield, is an international organization founded in 1996 to protect the world's cultural heritage from threats such as armed conflict and natural disasters. Originally intended a ...
*
International Council on Monuments and Sites The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS; french: links=no, Conseil international des monuments et des sites) is a professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places around the worl ...
*
List of World Heritage Sites in Europe This is a list of the lists of World Heritage Sites. A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as having special cultural or physical significance. General lis ...
*
The Best in Heritage The Best in Heritage is an international, annual survey of award-winning museum, heritage and conservation projects. The survey was launched in 2003 by the European Heritage Association from Zagreb under leadership from professor Tomislav S. Šola ...
*
World Heritage Convention The World Heritage Convention, formally the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, is an international treaty signed on 23 November 1972, which created the World Heritage Sites, with the primary goals of ...
*
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
*
World Monuments Fund World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...


References


External links


Europa Nostra website
{{Authority control Organizations established in 1963 International organizations based in Europe Politics of the European Union Heritage organizations European culture