Brussels / The Hague, 5 April 2017 – The European Commission and Europa Nostra revealed today the winners of the 2017 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards, Europe’s top honour in the heritage field. The 29 laureates from 18 countries are being recognised for their notable achievements in conservation, research, dedicated service, and education, training and awareness-raising. Independent expert juries examined a total of 202 applications, submitted by organisations and individuals from 39 countries across Europe, and chose the winners.

Citizens from around the world can now vote online for the Public Choice Award and rally support for the winning project(s) from their own or another European country. Voters have the chance to win a trip for two to Finland and be a special guest at the Awards Ceremony that will be held in the historic city of Turku on 15 May. During the ceremony, the seven Grand Prix laureates, each of whom will receive €10,000, and the Public Choice Award winner, chosen from among this year’s winning projects, will be announced.

Among the outstanding initiatives awarded this year are: the renovation of a road stretching across 100km of Norwegian mountains that has made an area of breathtaking natural beauty accessible to visitors; a pioneering research project on the paintings and drawings of the Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch that has shed new light on some of the world’s most fascinating works of art created at the turn of the 16th century; the efforts of a conservator and art historian to protect Croatia’s heritage for almost 60 years; and the establishment of a Cypriot centre of visual arts and research in Nicosia that has the spirit of reconciliation and peace at its foundation.

“I congratulate all the winners. Their achievements demonstrate once again how engaged many Europeans are in protecting and safeguarding their cultural heritage. Their projects highlight the significant role of cultural heritage in our lives and our society. Especially today, with Europe facing many big societal challenges, culture is vital in helping us to raise awareness of our common history and values and to foster tolerance, mutual understanding and social inclusion. The European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018 will be an ideal opportunity to focus on what binds us together as Europeans – our common history, culture and heritage. The European Commission will continue to support this prize and other heritage projects through our Creative Europe programme,” said Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport. 

“I warmly congratulate this year’s winners and pay tribute to all those who made these exceptional achievements possible, thanks to their formidable talent, passionate commitment and great generosity. They are now among a select group of some 450 remarkable accomplishments awarded by Europa Nostra and the European Commission in the past 15 years. All our winners demonstrate that heritage is a key tool for sustainable economic development, social cohesion and a more inclusive Europe. EU leaders should seize the historic opportunity of the European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018 to recognise the multiple benefits of heritage and its fundamental value in bringing countries, communities and cultures together in Europe and beyond,” stated Plácido Domingo, the renowned opera singer and President of Europa Nostra.

The winners of the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards 2017 will be celebrated during a high-profile event co-hosted by EU Commissioner Navracsics and Maestro Plácido Domingo commencing in the late afternoon on 15 May at St. Michael’s Church in Turku. The European Heritage Awards Ceremony will assemble some 1,200 people, including heritage professionals, volunteers and supporters from all over Europe as well as top-level representatives from EU institutions, the host country and other Member States.

The winners will also present their exemplary heritage accomplishments during the Excellence Fair on 14 May at the Sigyn Hall of the Turku Music Conservatory, and participate in various events at the European Heritage Congress in Turku (11-15 May). Organised by Europa Nostra, the Congress will provide an inspiring platform for networking and debating the latest European developments related to heritage with a special focus on the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018.

Applications for the 2018 edition of the Awards can be submitted from 15 May to 1 October 2017 through the dedicated website.

2017 Award Winners

(listed alphabetically by country)

Category Conservation

St. Martin’s Chapel in Stari Brod, near Sisak, CROATIA 
Baroque Complex and Gardens in Kuks, Hradec Králové region, CZECH REPUBLIC
Ancient city of Karthaia, Island of Kea, GREECE
Bastion of the Grand Master’s Palace in Rhodes, GREECE
White Pyramid in Rome, ITALY
The King’s Road across Filefjell, NORWAY
The Clérigos’ Church and Tower in Porto, PORTUGAL
Cultural Palace in Blaj, Transylvania region, ROMANIA
Cap Enderrocat Fortress, Mallorca, SPAIN
Roof for the ruins of the Monastery of San Juan in Burgos, SPAIN
Cromford Mills: Building 17, Derbyshire, UNITED KINGDOM

Category Research

Rode Altarpiece Research and Conservation Project, Tallinn, ESTONIA
‘Carnival King of Europe’, San Michele all’Adige, ITALY
‘Museum Piranesi’, Milan, ITALY
Bosch Research and Conservation Project, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, THE NETHERLANDS

Category Dedicated Service

Mr. Ferdinand Meder, Zagreb, CROATIA
Mr. Jim Callery, County Roscommon, IRELAND
The Norwegian Lighthouse Society, NORWAY
Mr. Zoltán Kallós, Transylvania region, ROMANIA

Category Education, Training and Awareness-Raising

Erfgoedplus: Online heritage platform, Hasselt, BELGIUM
Centre of Visual Arts and Research, Nicosia, CYPRUS
Educational programme for Czech cultural heritage, Telč, Vysočina region, CZECH REPUBLIC
Paavo Nurmi Legacy project, Turku, FINLAND
Heritage Crafts Initiative for Georgia, Tbilisi, GEORGIA
Cultural Heritage and Barrier-free Accessibility project, Berlin, GERMANY
ilCartastorie: Storytelling in the archives, Naples, ITALY
Jewish Cultural Heritage: Educational programme, Warsaw, POLAND
Advanced Master in Structural Analysis of Monuments and Historical Constructions, European programme coordinated in Guimarães, PORTUGAL
SAMPHIRE: Maritime heritage project in western Scotland, UNITED KINGDOM

A Europa Nostra Award is also presented to remarkable heritage achievements from two European countries not taking part in the EU Creative Europe programme.

Category Conservation

Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamam in Istanbul, TURKEY

Category Research

Philippe Stern’s Collection of Timekeepers, Geneva, SWITZERLAND

Weitere Infomationen:

http://www.europanostra.org/eu-prize-cultural-heritage-europa-nostra-awa...