| News |
BREATHTAKING SETTING FOR EUROPEAN HERITAGE AWARDS CEREMONY, 5 JUNE 2009
jun 18
Taormina’s Teatro Antico frames display of Europe’s top Cultural Heritage
Highlight of the Annual Congress was the European Heritage Awards Ceremony, held in Taormina’sTeatro Antico with a smoking Mount Etna providing a dramatic backdrop, and the city’s Plectrum Orchestra providing atmospheric musical interludes. Laureates were presented through short video clips explaining the unique and important contribution each of the winning heritage achievements have made to conserving and enhancing Europe’s rich cultural heritage. The Award certificates were presented to the Laureates by Europa Nostra departing President, S.A.R. la Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón, Mr Bernd Biervert, Member of the Cabinet of Mr Ján Figel’, Member of the European Commission responsible for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, and the relevant Heritage Awards Jury Chairman. Excitement was palpable as the top 7 Grand Prize winners were disclosed to the waiting audience.
The Ceremony opened with welcoming speeches by Prof. Mario Bolognari, President of Distretto Taormina Etna, and Giovanni Losavio, President of Italia Nostra. The Chairmen of the Heritage Awards Juries announcing the Laureates were Philip Geoghegan for Category 1 - Conservation, Prof. Gianni Perbellini for Category 2 - Research, Alexander Fürst zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn for Category 3 - Dedicated Service, and José-Maria Ballester, Vice-Chairman of Jury 1, representing Prof. Emil Haedler, Chairman of Jury Category 4 - Education, Training and Awareness-Raising.
EU Commissioner Ján Figel’, who was unable to attend the actual ceremony, stressed in his video message the importance of conserving and revitalising Europe’s cultural heritage assets, often through creative and innovative adaptations to new uses which ensure that our heritage monuments and sites retain a central place in the living environments of European citizens. Europa Nostra’s President closed the ceremony by thanking all Laureates for their tremendous contributions to Europe’s cultural heritage richness, and by encouraging all to be heartened by the ‘power of their example’ in continuing to protect and keep alive and in use, Europe’s heritage buildings, sites and landscapes.
