SAFEGUARDING EUROPE’S HISTORIC SMALL TOWNS AND VILLAGES AND THEIR SURROUNDING LANDSCAPES

jul 07

Europa Nostra’s Taormina Forum, “Saving Europe’s Small HistoricTowns and Villages and their Surrounding Landscapes”, addressed local and European concerns for the towns, villages and rural landscapes threatened by depopulation and neglect, ill considered development and damaging excesses of tourism. Italian experts and international guest speakers provided a European perspective on the protection needed for these more rural aspects of our cultural heritage. Europe’s small towns and villages are vitally important in creating the European heartland, the image of our countryside, and help form our European sense of identity. This heritage is especially threatened because the spotlight is often more focused on ‘famous’ monuments and sites, so special attention is needed from authorities and heritage organisations alike, to prevent irreversible damage from occuring in silence and in secret. The Forum was successfully co-organised with our founding member Italia Nostra, as part of the 2009 Europa Nostra Annual Congress.

A Declaration by the same name was issued at the close of the Forum. PDF

More information in Italian on the Forum and the Taormina Declaration can be found on the Italia Nostra website.