ENPP attended the13th Annual Advisor Forum on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe

At the invitation of the Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA), Stefano Dominioni and the Deputy Secretary of State for Public Collections and Cultural Development of the Hungarian Ministry of Culture and Innovation, Máté Vincze, a delegation from the European Network of Places of Peace (ENPP) participated in the 13th Annual Advisor Forum on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe which took place in the city of Visegrád, Hungary, between last 25th and 27th of September.
The ENPP delegation was made up of Eduardo Basso, President of the ENPP Board and Ferenc Tóth, representing the Municipality of Vasvár, a Hungarian member of the Network.

During the Forum, ENPP delegation established several contacts with other Cultural Itineraries and successfully publicized its activities, especially the current ERASMUS+ projects managed by the Network, since the main theme of this Forum was the integration of Young People in European Cultural Itineraries.

The ENPP delegation also had the opportunity to express to the Executive Secretary of the EPA, Stefano Dominioni, its interest in submitting a new application for Places of Peace Route to Cultural Route of the Council of Europe in one of the next evaluation periods, with the possibility being suggested to hold a meeting on this subject at the headquarters of the European Institute of Cultural Routes, in Luxembourg, in the middle of next year.

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Évora Monte (Portugal) has a new Promotional Video

 

The historic town of Évora Monte (Portugal) launched a new promotional video of its Historical, Architectural and Landscape Heritage, in an initiative of the local Parish Council.
The video, entitled “Évora Monte – A Mountain of Emotions” invites the visitor to enjoy the built heritage (Torre/Paço, Igreja de Santa Maria, Capela da Misericórdia, Medieval Walls and Doors), its Historical Heritage (House of the Convention and Interpretive Center of the Évora Monte Convention) and its imposing landscape heritage.
Remember that it was in this town that the Peace Treaty known as the “Évora Monte Convention” was signed, which put an end to the bloody Portuguese Civil War of the first quarter of the 19th century. Also in this town, on May 28, 2010, the Association European Network of Places of Peace  was created, which brings together several places in Europe where Peace Treaties were signed, which also have their headquarters here.

See the Évora Monte Promotional Video at: https://youtu.be/twcS49EG1lQ. 

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Street Crib returns to the Historic Center of Évora Monte (Portugal)

After a few years of interregnum, the Street Crib  de Évora Monte will once again be available for visits in the Historic Center of this Portuguese town until the next 7th of January.
Built in 2006 by the Évora Monte Castle Frienship Association (LACE), a member of the ENPP and by the town’s population, this Nativity scene combines the solemnity of this festive season with the feeling of peace that lives in the place where the Peace Treaty ending
the bloodiest Civil War that Portugal has known in almost 900 years of history was signed.
In addition to having been built by the population of the town, this Nativity scene is characterized by the fact that the faces of its human figures are plaster mold copies of the faces of some of its inhabitants.
The 2021 Street Crib, after recent recovery of its figures, was assembled by the Civil Parish Council of Évora Monte, an institution to which LACE gave it away permanently.

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Évora Monte (Portugal) opened its Peace Treaty Interpretive Center

The town of Évora Monte (Portugal), where on May 26, 1834 the Peace Treaty which ended the bloodiest Portuguese civil war was signed, opened today, December 10, 2021, the Interpretative Center of that Peace Treaty, in the small house where it was signed.

The Interpretive Center is divided into 3 rooms and is equipped with the most modern communication technologies. In the entrance room, in addition to the reception for visitors where it is possible to obtain a brochure in 3 languages ​​(Portuguese, Spanish and English), a large panel introduces the visitor to the theme and on an interactive table it is possible to collect all information about the called “Convention of Évora Monte”.

In another room, visitors can watch a high quality video that explains, in simple and attractive language, the facts that preceded the Civil War, the main events that marked the war and finally, the signing of the treaty and its main terms. Also in this room, an interactive wall panel allows the visitor to walk through the sites and battles of the Portuguese Civil War 1832-1834.

On the 1st building’s floor, the room is dedicated to a reconstruction of the Convention’s signature with figures representing its main actors, the original table and inkwell that were used on the day of the signing. In this room, visitors can also obtain more information on 3 wall panels: One with the Historical, Philosophical and Political Framework and the Vespers of the Conflict, another containing the text of the Convention of Évora Monte and a third under the theme “The Government Liberal and the new Constitution of 1828”.

This equipment enriches the experience of visiting the Historic Center of Évora Monte and allows visitors to know the importance for Portugal (and beyond) of the historic event that brought Peace to Portugal in the first quarter of the 19th century.

The Interpretative Center of the Convention of Évora Monte is an initiative of the Municipality of Estremoz, owner of the building where it is installed, financed by Tourist Portuguese Office through the “Valorizar” program.

 

In the Photo: Historical Reenactment of the Signature of the Convention of Évora Monte

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ALCÁÇOVAS (Portugal) CELEBRATES 542 YEARS OF ITS PEACE TREATY

On the 3rd and 4th of September 2021, on the initiative of the Municipality of Viana do Alentejo, member of ENPP, several initiatives and events commemorate the 542 Years of the Treaty of Alcáçovas/Toledo, also known as “Paz de Alcáçovas”, signed on 4 September of 1479.
The commemorative initiatives will take place at Paço dos Henriques, in Alcáçovas, where the Treaty that ended the War of Succession of Castile (1475-1479) and opened the doors to the maritime expansion of the two Iberian countries was signed.

On September 3, from 6:30 pm, Bela Mestre will present the book “Doors and Windows that Count on Stories” which brings together 30 images of original watercolors of doors and windows in the town of Alcáçovas, which will be followed by the inauguration of an exhibition of these images which will be on display at Paço dos Henriques.

On September 4th, the ceramist Helena Garcia will dynamize a ceramics workshop, followed by the presentation at 5 pm the mural project “Women and Wisdom passed between Generations”, a mural open to the participation of the population and which intends to celebrate the role of women in the region and their wisdom across generations.

The program to commemorate the 542 Years of the Treaty of Alcáçovas/Toledo will close at 6:30 pm on September 4th with the Conference entitled “D. João, Marquês de Montemor e Senhor das Alcáçovas. Biographical and political aspects” and which will portray the historical character of D. João de Bragança.

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Hubertusburg Castle (Germany) with a new exhibition next September

The new exhibition at Hubertusburg Castle in Wermsdorf, scheduled for this year, is now in the process of being realised, and for the first time local people are also involved because the Dresden State Art Collections (SKD), the entity responsible by this German Castle, have invited everyone who feels connected to the castle to help create this exhibition.

The curator in charge, Selene Vincent from the SKD, points out that the exhibition is not only about history but also about current events.  “We are interested in joining all people associate with this place” she said.

The show is scheduled to take place in Hubertusburg from 11 September 2021.  So there is already plenty of historical visual material and even individual pieces from the former faience factory of Hubertusburg.

The popularity of the exhibition is not surprising, as there is a strong local desire to show visitors an exhibition in the castle again soon.

Many of the exhibits from the Dresden State Art Collections will also be presented in this royal hunting residence.

Thematically, the new exhibition will show the following contents, among others:

– the history of construction and use

– the history of the Hubertusburg Peace Treaties

– the forest and hunting

– the historical personalities, as well as,

– the beautiful things, such as faience and earthenware.

The presentation will probably be on display in the castle until November.

Next year there is planned to launch another exhibition. This was announced by CDU member of the state parliament Dr Christiane Schenderlein in view of the budget passed by the Free State of Saxony. The necessary funds are already available.

The Freundeskreis Schloss Hubertusburg e.V. (Hubertusburg Castle Friendship Association), member of ENPP,  together with the municipal administration of Wermsdorf and other actors in the region, will actively support the preparations of this exhibition, whereby the special appreciation of the Hubertusburg Peace and the joint work in the European Network of Places of Peace will also play an important role.

 

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PROMOTIONAL VIDEO OF PLACES OF PEACE ROUTE

ENPP launched a promotional video for Places of Peace Route with the aim of publicizing the main objectives and fields of activity of the Route that links the 12 places in Europe where Peace Treaties have been signed that integrate it.
In addition to general information about the Route, the video contains testimonies by the President of the Scientific Council of the Route, Áurea Rodrigues, the member of this Council, Patrizia Battilani, the Mayors of Kaynardzha (Bulgaria), Edirne (Turkey), Zadar (Croatia), Viana do Alentejo (Portugal), Wermsdorf (Germany) and Vasvár (Hungary) as well as the Spanish MEP Francisco Millán Mon, President of the Intergroup Caminhos de Santiago and Other Cultural Routes, of the European Parliament.
The video is available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/JT3xzcYApWI.

 

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“PLACES OF PEACE ROUTE” AWARDED WITH 2nd PLANETIERS WORLD GATHERING AWARD

“Places of Peace Route” project, which is part of the larger project of the Association European Network of Places of Peace, won the 2ND prize in the NGO/Associations category, during the “Planetiers World Gathering” event held in the city of Lisbon, last Friday, 22 October.

The organization “Planetiers” guides its activity towards the sustainability of our planet, integrating very diverse themes, among which “culture for peace”. 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohan Munasinghe was one of the keynote speakers at this event.

 

“Places of Peace Route” is a cultural route of places in Europe where Peace Treaties were signed, created in 2012 and whose main objectives are the dissemination of culture for Peace and the tourist promotion of the places integrating it.

Currently “Places of Peace Route” includes 11 places in Europe located in 9 countries: Alcáçovas and Évora Monte (Portugal), Alcañices (Spain), Altranstädt and Hubertusburg/ Wermsdorf (Germany), Trencin (Slovakia), Vasvár (Hungary), Zadar (Croatia), Kaynardzha (Bulgaria), Bucharest (Romania) and Edirne (Turkey) and is a Candidate Route for Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, for the 2020/2021 evaluation period.

This award is an acknowledgment of the quality of “Places of Peace Route” project and an important incentive for the work that public and private institutions in the various locations of the Route have been carrying out with a view to its European visibility and implantation.

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Certification of “Places of Peace Route” as a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe entered the second phase of the evaluation process

Following the submission of Places of Peace Route application dossier for Cultural Route of the Council of Europe on 30 July, the Secretariat of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes (EPA) informed the Borad of ENPP and the management of the Route that the documentation submitted complies with the criteria established by the Council of Europe and is therefore in a position to move on to the second phase of the evaluation process.

For this second phase, the EPA Secretariat on Cultural Routes, based in Luxembourg, has already appointed an independent expert who will be in charge of carrying out the documentary analysis of the application and its compliance with the certification criteria defined by the Council of Europe.

This year, due to the mobility constraints caused by the COVID19 pandemic, the usual field visits to Route sites will be replaced by online interviews with the Mangement of the  Route and its members.

This first result reflects the commitment of all Route members, from Portugal to Turkey, to achieve this year what they consider to be widely deserved:  the certification of Places of Peace Route as a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, whether for the theme that is underlying – Peace – either by the positive and comprehensive way it is assumed by the Route.

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Places of Peace Route submitted a new application for Cultural Route of the Council of Europe

Following the decision taken by the ENPP General Assembly and the Meeting of Scientific Council of Places of Peace Route, the Board of ENPP  successfully submitted a new application of “Places of Peace Route” to Cultural Route of the Council of Europe for the evaluation cycle 2020-2021.

This new application includes 12 places located in 9 European countries (from east to west): Edirne (Turkey), Kaynardzha (Bulgaria), Bucharest (Romania), Zadar (Croatia), Vasvár (Hungary), Trencin (Slovakia), Bautzen (Germany), Hubertusburg/Wermsdorf (Germany), Altranstädt (Germany), Alcañices (Spain), Évora Monte (Portugal) and Alcáçovas (Portugal).

With the submission of this application , a process begins which ENPP Board and all its members expect to end with the certification of Places of Peace Route by the Council of Europe, which may happen in April 2021 during the Governing Board Meeting of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of Council of Europe, if the planned timetable does not change.

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