Home News 2023 Winners show fascinating insights into their awarded initiatives at the Excellence Day

2023 Winners show fascinating insights into their awarded initiatives at the Excellence Day

October 04, 2023 | Posted in Awards

The Excellence Day took place on the afternoon of 27 September at the headquarters of the Giorgio Cini Foundation located in the striking setting of San Giorgio Maggiore Island. At the event, each of the 30 winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2023 presented their exemplary projects to the wider public.

This inspiring event assembled an audience of over 300 attendees, comprised of experts, officials, volunteers and those who are active in the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage across Europe and the world. It thus presented an excellent platform for exchange among a diverse range of heritage practitioners.

Bertrand de Feydeau, Chair of the Heritage Awards Jury, and Elena Bianchi, Heritage Awards Manager at Europa Nostra, highlighted the importance of the Awards. Chiara Casarin, Head of Cultural Development and Communication at the Giorgio Cini Foundation, welcomed the audience and read a message from Renata Codello, Secretary General of the Giorgio Cini Foundation.

The 30 laureates of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2023 were each invited on stage to present their project, to reflect on the challenges they faced when executing their projects, and the lessons they learned in the process.

The presentations were divided into five sessions dedicated to the five categories of the Awards: 1) Conservation & Adaptive Reuse; 2) Research; 3) Education, Training & Skills; 4) Citizens’ Engagement & Awareness-raising; and 5) Heritage Champions.

The Excellence Day was concluded with remarks by Catherine Magnant, Head of Unit for Cultural Policy at the European Commission DG EAC – Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, who took the floor to congratulate the winners. “Today was about your talent, passion, skills and excellence; but it’s also a story of determination, patience and generosity”, she said.

Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Secretary General of Europa Nostra, had the final word on the day. “Your stories have given us so much positive energy, and above all, hope that we can prevail over the many challenges we face today”, she said.