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Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes | 32 Member States, 1 Observer State, 33 Cultural Routes
Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe Newsletter December 2018

Happy New Year 2019!
2018 was another very successful year for the Cultural Routes programme of the Council of Europe! - 3 new Member States for the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes (EPA): Finland, The Holy See and Turkey; - The request by the European External Action Service (EEAS) to participate in the EPA Governing Board; - 2 new Cultural Routes, Impressionisms Routes and Via Charlemagne; 8th Annual Advisory Forum in Gorlitz (Germany) - 20th Anniversary of the European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR) and visit by the 47 Ambassadors of the Council of Europe to Luxembourg; - 2018 XI Iberian Biennial of Cultural Heritage awarded to the EICR; - Joint Programme with the European Commission “Routes4U” implemented as of February 2018; - 2018 Edition of the Training Academy in Yuste, Extremadura (Spain) along the European Routes of Emperor Charles V.
The Secretariat would like to thank all Member States, Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, partner institutions and colleagues for their 2018 achievements. We very much look forward to continuing our collaboration in 2019. For more information on our forthcoming activities, stay tuned for our January Newsletter!
The EPA Secretariat
Albania to become Observer to the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes
The Minister of Culture of Albania, Mrs. KUMBARO FURXHI, requested Observer status with the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, effective as of 1 January 2019.
Romania: Sibiu to host the 9th Annual Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes. Save the Date! 2-4 October 2019
Romania will be a key partner for the Cultural Routes programme in 2019, with the Annual Advisory Forum taking place in Sibiu between 2 and 4 October. Member of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) since 2013, Romania is a very active member of the EPA with the organization of several seminars on the theme of the Cultural Routes, such as the 2017 edition of the Training Academy in Alba Iulia.
Luxembourg: European Institute on Cultural Routes hosts the “Heritage for Future” Conference
On 3-4 December 2018, the European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR) co-organised, in partnership with the Luxembourg Agency for Cultural Action and Creative Europe Desk Luxembourg, a conference entitled “Heritage For Future”. Opened by Mrs Snezana Samardic-Markovic, Director General of Democracy at the Council of Europe, and by Ambassador Christian Biever, President of the EICR, the meeting focused on sustainable funding for culture and local and regional development in Europe.
OECD: Cultural Routes presented at international Conference on local development
Organised by the OECD in cooperation with the European Commission and UNESCO, the international conference “Unleashing the Transformative Power of Culture and Creativity for Local Development” was held on 6-7 December 2018 in Venice, Italy. The discussions focused on developing recommendations for economic and social policies that leverage culture and cultural heritage to enhance economic growth, job creation and social inclusion.
Iter Vitis: Ceremony of the European Iter Vitis Award, Brussels
The closing ceremony of the European Iter Vitis Awards was held on 6 December at the Occitanie Europe headquarters in Brussels, in the presence of the Director of the Council of Europe Office in Brussels, Ambassador Zoltan Taubner. The departmental Council of the Rhône (France) and the Interprofession De Vinho Verde (Portugal) were awarded the European Iter Vitis prizes; the municipality of Buje Bui (Croatia) was honoured by the jury’s special Award. The jury chose to highlight exemplary actions but also little-known destinations and to highlight the richness of the singularities of a wine-growing heritage that contributes to European attractiveness and the economic development of rural areas.
El legado Andalusi: Almeria hosting an exhibition on art and culinary uses of al-Andalus, Spain
During the Andalusian period, between the 8th and 15th centuries, new ingredients and crops from the East arrived in al-Andalus. At the same time, new ways of cooking were created, tableware was refined and new fashions arrived at the table. The result was a gastronomy characterised by its variety of flavours, aromas and colours. An exhibition dedicated to art and culinary uses of al-Andalus takes place in the city of Almeria (Museum of Almeria) from 13rd December 2018 to 17th March 2019.
European Route of Jewish Heritage: Parallel Traces project presented at Heritage for Future conference, Luxembourg
In the framework of the Heritage for Future conference, Victor Sorenssen, director of the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ), and Stefanie Thomas, Project Manager of CUMEDIAE, presented the project “Parallel Traces: A new lens on Jewish Heritage”. This collaborative and cross-European project aims to rediscover traces of Jewish cultural heritage in urban architecture as an integral part of European history and to raise awareness and respect amongst different cultures through different mechanisms.
(François Moyse, President of AEPJ, Victor Sorenssen and Stefanie Thomas)
Via Charlemagne: entertainment show in Luxeuil-les-Bains, France
On 13 December, a show about Charlemagne took place in Luxeuil-les-Bains, France. The play was based on a historic document drawn up by Charlemagne, mentioning the protagonists of the show: a monk, an herbalist and an illuminator. The programme also included a dinner based on medieval recipes.
European Route of Cistercian Abbeys: Strasbourg hosting an exhibition on Cistercian heritage
The exhibition "From the abbey to the vineyard, the Cistercian heritage" was held at the Hôtel de la Région Grand Est in Strasbourg, France. It 32 panels are conceived as an itinerary exhibition and will be presented next summer in Clairvaux, France. The panels explore the multiple imprint of the Cistercian Order on the regional landscape, giving an overview of the origins of the Order and the very particular organization of a Cistercian abbey, before showing how the Cistercian Order developed over the country.
Cultural Routes in the press
EPA on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe
European Institute of Cultural Routes
Abbaye de Neumünster, 28 rue Münster
L-2160 Luxembourg
Tel. +352 24 12 50

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