Hundreds of heritage players from all over Europe – professionals and volunteers, members of Europa Nostra and the European Heritage Alliance 3.3, partners from the wider fields of culture and economy, and representatives from various EU institutions and governmental networks – will gather in Madrid from 23-27 May for the European Heritage Congress 2016. Organised by Europa Nostra, in close cooperation with its Country Representation, Hispania Nostra, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the Congress will provide a unique platform for international networking, capacity building and peer learning, transnational cooperation and exchanges of views on the latest EU policy developments related to heritage.

Congress participants will be engaged in a series of meetings, networking events and cultural visits.

The meetings of Europa Nostra’s governing bodies will focus on peer learning, project management and policy discussions. On the morning of 23 May, the Scientific Council will hold a public session on ‘Case studies of sustainable safeguarding and enhancement of fortified architecture’. On the afternoon of 23 May, the Council will convene at Espacio Bertelsmann. This meeting will be followed by a debate on the report ‘Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe’(CHCFE), including the presentation of the Spanish Edition of the CHCFE Executive Summary. Finally, on the morning of 26 May, the General Assembly of Europa Nostra will meet at the Conde Duque Cultural Centre and be presented with the conclusions of the forum on ‘Social Participation in Heritage Protection: European, Spanish and Hispano-American Experiences’, organised by Hispania Nostra the previous day.

The cultural programme will feature visits to some of the many heritage sites in the Spanish capital, including Madrid’s Metro Transport System – organised by Europa Nostra’s Industrial and Engineering Heritage Committee – and the Royal Academy of the Fine Arts of San Fernando on the afternoon of 26 May. The programme will conclude with a reception hosted by the Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid in that evening.

On 27 May, delegates to the Congress will be offered an exciting full-day excursion to Segovia, whose Old Town and Aqueduct are on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and to La Granja de San Ildefonso, also featured on the World Heritage List.

During the Congress in Madrid, Europa Nostra will seek to expand its network of members, partners and contacts and showcase a number of exemplary heritage initiatives in Spain by publishing a new issue of its Heritage in Motion magazine entirely dedicated to this country.

As a core activity of Europa Nostra’s network project ‘Mainstreaming Heritage’, the Congress has the support of the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.