Europa Nostra contributes to the 70th anniversary congress of Italia Nostra and visits School of Arts and Crafts of the Fabric of Saint Peter in Rome
Europa Nostra took part in the congress marking the 70th anniversary of Italia Nostra, one of the founding member organisations of Europa Nostra in 1963. The event took place on 28 October 2025 at the premises of the Italian Ministry of Culture in Rome, under the title “The Protection of Cultural Heritage and Landscapes: Future Perspectives”. The congress inaugurated a rich programme of exhibitions and workshops organised throughout Rome and across Italy by Italia Nostra’s regional sections, celebrating the organisation’s seven decades of tireless commitment to safeguarding Italy’s cultural and natural heritage.
Yesterday our SG @SneskaEN joined the celebration of Italia Nostra’s 70th anniversary in Rome — one of the founding organisations of Europa Nostra back in 1963. #ItaliaNostra70 #EuropaNostra pic.twitter.com/rQMDbW9QkJ
— Europa Nostra (@europanostra) October 29, 2025
Opening the proceedings, Edoardo Croci, President of Italia Nostra, retraced the association’s remarkable journey: 70 years of advocacy, vision, and dedication to the protection of Italy’s landscapes and heritage.
Europa Nostra was represented by its Secretary General, Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, who delivered an inspiring address reaffirming the profound and enduring bond between Europa Nostra and Italia Nostra: a bond rooted in shared values, missions, and struggles for the protection of European heritage.
“When 62 years ago Italia Nostra – together with other associations from across Europe – founded Europa Nostra, the vision was clear: cultural heritage has an inherently European meaning. Its origins, its present and its future must be understood as European, as a shared movement”, she emphasised.
Reflecting on the question that guided the congress — “Does Italy still need to be saved?” — Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović extended the reflection to a wider European context:
“We can also ask: Does Europe still need to be saved? This is not just a question, but a call to action — to save not only our cultural heritage but also our values: ethical, aesthetic and ecological — in the name of our common good and shared heritage”.
A distinguished panel of speakers contributed to the roundtable discussion, reflecting the diversity of voices in the heritage sector in Italy. Among them were Francesco Iannello, Member of Italia Nostra’s Scientific Committee; Maurizio Di Stefano, President of ICOMOS Italy; Margherita Eichberg, Superintendent of Cultural Heritage and Activities for the Province of Viterbo and Southern Etruria; and Andrea Maria Giordano, Chief Business Unit Infrastructures at Aeroporti di Roma.
The congress also featured the unveiling of a special commemorative postage stamp issued to celebrate this significant milestone in Italia Nostra’s history. The afternoon concluded with remarks from several institutional guests, including Marco Magnifico, President of the FAI- Fondo Ambiente Italiano.
Visits to the School of Arts and Crafts of the Fabric of Saint Peter and St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican
As part of the mission in Rome, on 29 October, representatives of Europa Nostra visited the School of Arts and Crafts of the Fabric of Saint Peter in the Vatican, a winner of the 2025 Europa Nostra Awards in the category Education, Training and Skills. The Secretary General of Europa Nostra, Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, was accompanied by Paolo Vitti, Board Member of Europa Nostra, and Silvia Costa, former Member of the European Parliament and former Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education.
Yesterday our Secretary General @SneskaEN visited the School of Arts & Crafts of the Fabric of Saint Peter at the Vatican️, winner of a Europa Nostra Award 2025. #CulturalHeritage #Restoration pic.twitter.com/srGcj3wszG
— Europa Nostra (@europanostra) October 30, 2025
During the visit, the delegation met with Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Arciprete of St. Peter’s Basilica and President of the Fabbrica di San Pietro, Father Francesco Occhetta, Director of the School, and Gloria Amaduzzi, Deputy Director, to discuss the School’s work and its newly launched edition.
The delegation also met the students of this year’s class, alongside Professor Pietro Zander, Archaeologist and Head of the Necropoli e Beni Artistici section of the Fabbrica.
The six-month programme brings together 20 young students aged 20 to 25, offering them a unique opportunity to learn from the Basilica’s master artisans and acquire vital restoration skills across multiple disciplines.
The day concluded with a special visit to St. Peter’s Basilica, from the ancient necropolis to the recently inaugurated immersive exhibition Pétros ení, exploring the world’s largest Christian basilica and its history.
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