The conservation of the marvellous baroque St. Martin’s Chapel in Stari Brod, Croatia, the restoration of Bastion of the Grand Master’s Palace in Rhodes, Greece, and the reconstruction of the historic King's Road in Norway are just some of the innovative heritage projects that have helped preserve Europe’s centuries-old cultural treasures. Together with 26 other remarkable initiatives from all over Europe, these three have been recognised with the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards 2017.

As Europe’s greatest honour in the field of cultural heritage, the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards, have been promoting the notable achievements in heritage conservation, promotion and enhancement since 2002. Supported by the European Commission, Europa Nostra and Creative Europe programme by the European Union, the awards celebrate Europe’s magnificent heritage and support their preservation.

Every year, the winners are chosen from hundreds of applications documenting remarkable heritage work from all over Europe. From repurposing decaying heritage sites to enabling a greater visibility for Europe’s historic places and objects, the variety of projects nominated for this prestigious honour is truly inspiring. This year, the winners include research and renovation projects that have helped bring Europe’s natural, cultural or historic treasures into spotlight.

Public Choice Award Candidate:
Baroque Complex and Gardens in Kuks, Hradec Králové region, Czech Republic

Announced on April 5th, the 2017 winners include 29 outstanding initiatives from 18 countries. Recognised in four different categories - conservation, research, management, voluntarism, education and communication – the selected initiatives have contributed to a wider recognition and a stronger appreciation of cultural heritage as a strategic resource for Europe’s economy and society.

While the winners are chosen by a group of independent expert juries, citizens are also invited to vote online and help their favourite projects win The Public Choice Award. The awards will be officially presented at the Awards Ceremony that will be held in Turku on 15th May, 2017. Traditionally, the award winners will be greeted by the EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, as well as by Europa Nostra President Maestro Plácido Domingo, who reminded why these initiatives matter for Europe:

"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 Mr. Navracsics.

“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,” said Mr. Domingo.

Right before the Awards ceremony, 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. They will also be invited to participate in various events at the European Heritage Congress in Turku (11th-15th May), which is organised by Europa Nostra to encourage networking and debating the latest European developments related to heritage with a special focus on the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018.

The full list of winners can be found on the Europa Nostra website. The applications for the 2018 edition of the Awards can be submitted from 15th May to 1st October 2017 through the dedicated website.

CONTACTS

Europa Nostra
Joana Pinheiro, jp@europanostra.org, +31 70 302 40 55
Elena Bianchi, eb@europanostra.org, +31 70 302 40 58

European Commission
Nathalie Vandystadt, nathalie.vandystadt@ec.europa.eu +32 2 2967083
Joseph Waldstein joseph.waldstein@ec.europa.eu, +32 2 2956184

TO FIND OUT MORE

About each winning project:
information and jury’s comments
high-resolution photos and videos
Twitter: @europanostra Creative Europe website
Twitter: @europe_creative Commissioner Navracsics website