Montenegro celebrates its first European Heritage Award, presented to the Pacijenca Project – Safeguarding the Dobrota Lace Tradition 

On 25 September, the Pacijenca Project – Safeguarding the Dobrota Lace Tradition, a 2026 European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award winner, was celebrated with a moving event at St. Tryphon Cathedral in Kotor, Montenegro. “Pacijenca” is the first Montenegrin project to receive Europe’s top heritage award in 25 years. The ceremony, held as part of the European Heritage Days, brought together national and municipal officials, representatives of cultural institutions, the lace-making community led by Nada Radović, and the wider public.

Led by Museums of Kotor, the Pacijenca Project was awarded in the Education, Training and Skills category for reviving the endangered skill of Dobrota needle lace-making through sustained teaching, public demonstrations and contemporary heritage interpretation. Its name comes from the Italian word for patience, “pazienza”.

The ceremony opened with the reading of a congratulatory message from the President of Montenegro, Mr. Jakov Milatović. 

The awards plaque was jointly presented to Dušica Ivetić, Director of Museums of Kotor, and Nada Radović by Europa Nostra’s Secretary General Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović. The bronze plaque was then symbolically passed from the hands of the eldest lace makers to the youngest. 

“Your award-winning project has transformed patience and careful craftsmanship into a human and cultural value at a time when so much of our lives is defined by speed, urgency and the race with artificial intelligence. […] In a world that is moving ever faster, “Pacijenca” invites us to be patient, to slow down, and, perhaps most importantly, to give our roots and traditions the attention and care they deserve,” said Europa Nostra’s Secretary General Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović.

“We see this Award, first and foremost, as recognition of Kotor and its rich cultural heritage, and of the women who have safeguarded this skill through the centuries,” highlighted Dušica Ivetić, Director of Museums of Kotor.

“A skill that was at risk of disappearing has now taken root,” emphasised Vladimir Jokić, Mayor of Kotor.

Dr. Tamara Vujović, Minister of Culture and Media of Montenegro, and Johann Sattler, European Union’s Ambassador to Montenegro, also addressed the audience. 

The ceremony featured a wonderful presentation/demonstration of Dobrota lace-making by both masters and children learning the first stitches.