European Cemeteries Route received the Best Practice Award 2024

The award-winning initiative was Week of Discovering European Cemeteries: Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change.

Best Practice Award 2024

At the 13th Annual Advisory Forum of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, held in Budapest, Hungary, from 25 to 27 September 2024, six Cultural Routes received the "Best Practice Award" for promoting cultural heritage.

Among them, the European Cemeteries Route was recognized for its focus on Cultural Tourism and Sustainable Development. The award-winning initiative, titled "Week of Discovering European Cemeteries: Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change," encouraged ASCE and European Cemeteries Route members to organize over 30 events in 22 cemeteries across seven European countries. These events emphasized the role of cemeteries as green spaces and promoted sustainable practices. Activities included guided tours, exhibitions, and open calls for sustainable improvements.

For more information about the award ceremony and the other winners, please visit this LINK.

European Cemeteries for Sustainable Europe

The theme for the 2024 Week of Discovering European Cemeteries, "Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change," was developed as part of the ASCE initiative "Cemeteries for Sustainable Europe," launched in 2024 to promote the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

Details of the initiative and the WDEC 2024 examples of good practice can be found HERE.

The Cultural Routes Training Seminar in Vilnius

ASCE president, Mrs Lidija Pliberšek, will be a guest speaker at the Cultural Routes Training Seminar in Vilnius, Lithuania, taking place on 19 and 20 June, 2024.

The Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, in cooperation with the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) and the European Institute of Cultural Routes is organising a Cultural Routes Training Seminar for National Stakeholders.

The event will take place on 19 and 20 June, 2024, in Vilnius, Lithuania.

ASCE president, Mrs Lidija Pliberšek, will attend the event as one of the distinguished guest speakers. She will present the European Cemeteries Route as an example of Cultural Routes good practice.

The program will cover following topics:

• Context: the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme
• Workshop: Presentation of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in Lithuania
• Defining a Cultural Route
• Tools for the governance of cultural routes
• Cultural routes – sustainable tourism, local development, and social participation
• Cultural Routes in practice
• Cultural routes communication and branding
• Roadmap for “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe” in Lithuania

You can find the preliminary program of the seminar HERE.

International congress: "Heritage, a shared responsibility"

From 9 to 11 November 2023, Cementiris de Barcelona participated in the international congress in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

About the event

From 9 to 11 November 2023, an international congress on the topic “Heritage, a shared responsibility” took place in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The event was organised by Hispania Nostra, part of Europa Nostra.

Under the slogan “Patrimonio somos todos” (“We are all heritage”), this congress sought to reflect on the protection and knowledge of cultural heritage. It focused on how cultural heritage can be used in a search for diversity and multiculturalism, a defence of democracy, a place of collective memory and personal reflection, and a defence of fundamental rights. Debates about these objectives were tied to the use of new technologies, and the importance of including the general public in the maintenance of cultural heritage.

Representing European Cemeteries Route

The representative of Cementiris de Barcelona, Adrià Terol, participated in a debate with the President of ICOMS Argentina, the General Secretary of AEPJ and the General Director of Cultura for the OEI. The debate focused on how European culture routes can be a source of social and economic development, as well as their effects on civil society.

Our spokesperson’s role was to represent the European Cemeteries Route, part of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. With Barcelona Cemeteries as an example of how cemeteries are a part of a city’s heritage, Terol explained what activities are put on offer to the public or to research and education institutions, and how these activities help to create a better dialogue between cemeteries and the heritage they hold and the general public. There was also a focus on links to Ibero-american heritage routes, and how Ibero-american and European heritage tie into one another.

The congress was a good way to present our work, at both a local and international level, to a wider public, and to gain new contacts. The congress was covered by various media outlets.

Insignia unveiling and peace tree planting at Kifissia Cemetery

From 6 to 8 September 2023, a series of special events that took place at the Municipal Cemetery of Kifissia, Greece.

About the events

The Municipality of Kifissia (Greece) organised a series of special events that took place from 6 to 8 September 2023 to celebrate the inclusion of the Municipal Cemetery of Kifissia in the European Cemeteries Route and joining the Peace tree project.

One of the main events was the ceremonial inauguration of the ASCE and European Cemeteries Route insignia at the cemetery's entrance. ASCE President, Lidija Pliberšek, and the Mayor of Kifissia, Georgios Thomakos, jointly unveiled the insignias, in the presence of esteemed dignitaries and key representatives of the city and the cemetery. This act symbolically marked the inclusion of the Municipal Cemetery of Kifissia in the European Cemeteries Route and highlighted the town's dedication to preserving the cemetery's rich cultural heritage and historical legacy.

In addition, the Peace Tree Project, which started during the Week of  Discovering European Cemeteries 2023, took another step forward. Following the successful planting of peace trees in Maribor and Budapest, the Municipal Cemetery of Kifissia became the proud home of the third peace tree. The purpose of the project is to plant a "peace tree" in as many different European cemeteries as possible, serving as a reminder of the importance of peace and reconciliation, while spreading the message “Live in peace to rest in peace!”.

Photos from the events:

Insights from the Certification Training Seminar in Luxembourg

ASCE president, Mrs. Lidija Pliberšek, unveiled the organizational journey of ASCE and European Cemeteries Route.

About the seminar

On Friday, June 30th, 2023, Mrs. Lidija Pliberšek, president of the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe (ASCE), participated as a guest speaker in the Training Seminar for candidate routes applying for the "Cultural Route of the Council of Europe" certification held by the European Institute of Cultural Routes. This seminar served as a platform to introduce aspiring networks to the practical aspects of Cultural Routes, providing valuable support on their path towards certification within the 2023-2024 Certification Cycle.

Joining online, Mrs. Pliberšek eloquently bridged theory and practice, sharing valuable insights into operations of a certified Cultural Route. Shedding light on the European Cemeteries Route, showcasing its members, thematic focus, projects, and the countries involved, Mrs. Pliberšek discussed the challenges encountered, offering guidance, and highlighting the incredible opportunities that lie ahead for aspiring Cultural Route networks.

Role of ASCE and European Cemeteries Route

Participation in this seminar has served as an opportunity to reflect both on our work as representatives of cultural heritage of cemeteries across Europe, as much as our contribution to the development and growth of candidate networks, building an engaging and vibrant community of Cultural Routes. Through the European Cemeteries Route, ASCE continues to inspire and guide the dynamic community of certified Cultural Routes in Europe, facilitating cooperation, preserving heritage, and promoting sustainable cultural tourism throughout Europe.

The Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe's 10th Training Academy

ASCE president, Mrs Lidija Pliberšek, participated in the 10th Training Academy of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, which took place from May 30th to June 2nd, 2023, in France.

Looking to the Future: visibility, cooperation and sustainability

The 10th Training Academy of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, hosted by Prehistoric Rock Art Trails, took place from May 30th to June 2nd, 2023, in the picturesque Dordogne region of France, in Périgueux-Montignac and Les Eyzies de Tayac, on the theme "Looking to the Future: visibility, cooperation and sustainability in the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe”.

As the theme suggests, this year's Training Academy had a clear focus on shaping the future of Cultural Routes, emphasizing three key aspects: visibility, collaboration, and sustainability. Representatives from various cultural routes and countries attended the event to exchange experiences, learn from good management practices, and advance ideas for new topics of engagement and areas for improvement.

In light of the event, it was established that the European Cemeteries Route would actively contribute to the Sustainability Working Group, established at the Forum in Chania on October 5th, 2022. This decision highlights the commitment of the European Cemeteries Route to contribute to sustainable practices and promote responsible tourism within the cultural routes framework. Joining forces with six other cultural routes, we are committed to collectively tackle sustainability challenges, assess the environmental, social, and economic impact of our projects, develop practical tools and resources, and share best practices to pave the way for a brighter future.

We warmly invite all members of our association to join us in our pursuit of creating a more sustainable and impactful future.

Photos from the event

Participation in an international workshop

In 2022, European Cemeteries Route participated in an international workshop entitled "Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: Cultural Heritage, Landscape and Tourism".

About the workshop

The Teaching Project inaugurated with the workshop entitled “Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: Cultural Heritage, Landscape and Tourism” is based within a consolidated international network of contacts acquired with Italian and foreign universities as part of the scientific and teaching activities of the University Network for Cultural Routes Studies under the patronage of the European Institute of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe.

The workshop took place between July and October 2022 with the aim to address, through a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspective, the theme of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, which in their specificity represent a crucial node in the active interpretation of cultural heritage and are strategic tools for guiding processes of territorial and landscape valorization. The activities also involved the collaboration of lecturers from other universities and from numerous national and international institutions and associations, as well as public administrations.

The workshop lasted a total of 75 hours and was organized in three main modules: lectures, site visits days, and project activities.

European Cemeteries Route at the workshop

Manager of European Cemeteries Route, Mr Dušan Vrban, gave a presentation at the workshop about the added value of stories in managing cultural tourism on the example of cemeteries and European Cemeteries Route.

He also highlighted the different marketing approaches that are being implemented by European Cemeteries Route in that context and can be applied in various fields.

The topic of the presentation is also elaborated in his article in the workshop's publication that you can download below.

Online publication

The outcomes of this successful international workshop are presented in an online publication which is available for download at this LINK.

The publication intends to summarise what matured during the opening experience of the Teaching Project, collecting some reflections of the lecturers and invited guests who have offered their contribution regarding the seminar days, together with the outcome of the students’ final projects.

The volume is therefore structured into three main parts: short essays, collects a photo diary of site visits days, and students’ final project proposals. 

Development of the project in the future

The workshop represented the first event of a growing teaching project that intends to become a summer school, held on an annual or biennial basis, with the involvement of other university members of the network and open to international students.

*Source: Introduction text from the workshop publication by Silvia Beltramo, www.academia.edu 

Best practices award 2022

European Cemeteries Route received the Cultural Routes Best Practices Award by the Secretariat of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA).

About the Cultural Routes Best Practices Award

The call for the “Cultural Routes Best Practices Award” was launched in 2022 by the Secretariat of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) in order to give recognition to best practices implemented by the certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe.

Award for Schools on cemeteries project

European Cemeteries Route received this exceptional award for the "Schools on cemeteries project", which has been implemented and developed for many years by European Cemetery Route members across Europe.

The ASCE president, Mrs Lidija Pliberšek, received the award certificate at the 11th Cultural Routes Annual Advisory Forum, that took place from 5th to 7th October 2022 in Chania, Greece.

The award is an important acknowledgement of the importance of the project. Thus, it will be further promoted and developed by the route management.

You can find more infromation about the project and the award itself HERE.

*On the photo from left to right: Mr. Stefano Dominioni (Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and Director of European Institute of Cultural Routes), Mrs. Lidija Pliberšek (ASCE president and director of Pogrebno podjetje Maribor) and Mr. Julien Vuilleumier (Chair, Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA)).

European Cemeteries Route successfully evaluated as a Cultural Route

To retain the label of a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, European Cemeteries Route has been evaluated in the framework of a three-year evaluation-cycle by European Institute of Cultural Routes.

About European Cemeteries Route

European Cemeteries Route is a project established by ASCE in 2010. It refers to cemeteries as places of life, settings that, as urban spaces, are directly linked to the history and culture of the community they belong to and where we will find many of our references.

Members of the route organize guided tours, events and other activities at the cemeteries, with the aim of informing visitors and making them aware of the important cultural heritage reflected in cemeteries.

European Cemeteries Route as a Cultural Route

European Cemeteries Route has been a certified "Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” since 2010.

Every three years, the Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) meets to renew this certification to networks, such as the European Cemeteries Route.

The final step of this year's thorough, more than 6-month long evaluation process took place on 5 and 6 May 2022, in Luxembourg, where European Cemeteries Route successfully passed the evaluation and, by meeting all the required criteria, obtained the right to further use the label Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.

You can find the details about the evaluation process HERE.

Importance of the regular evaluation process

Throughout the last ten years, European Cemeteries Route has been evaluated 3 times. Always with success and observed as one of the routes that performs really well.

In many ways it may be seen as leading developer for the sector of cultural tourism.Yet again each time it went through the evaluation process, we have learned that there are possible improvements and unexploited potentials, such us:

• improvements in our work,
• improvements in the government networking,
• improvements in the research and cooperation with the academic sector,
• possibilities in cultural crossroads concept.

You can find more about the improvements and plans that European Cemeteries Route will work on in the future HERE.

Monumental cemetery in Turin - Upcoming events "Fragments on the web"

 

European Cemeteries Tour 2020: SignUp

Only 20 seats left and 2 months for signup.

Cemeteries are increasingly opening up as new spaces for tourist visits and cultural manifestations. In this context it is very important to emphasise them as part of cultural tourism. In order to promote it, European Cemeteries Route began with the project European Cemeteries Tour in 2018.

KD Kozala Rijeka, together with its partners from Zagreb and Zadar, is the first organiser of the project European Cemeteries Tour 2020, during which stories from Croatia will be presented.

Only 20 seats left

Interest for the tour is amazing, as the tour program is promising really splendid cultural adventure. Beyond cemeteries, tour will include many cultural events, including European Capital of Culture 2020 in Rijeka.

SignUp now

SignUp is available at this link in the European Cemeteries Tour website with 2 packages available. Make sure to sign up on time as the tour has limited number of seats available (only 20 left at the moment).

WDEC 2019 OPEN HOUSE TURIN (IT)- ARCHITECTURE AND PARTICIPATION

OPEN HOUSE EVENT IN THE  MONUMENTAL CEMETERY OF TURIN

On the occasion of the Week for the discovery of European cemeteries, OPEN HOUSE TORINO organizes a visit between the architecture and the stories of a city in the city: the Monumental Cemetery of Turin.
The Monumental Cemetery of Turin has preserved works of art, precious architecture and moving landscapes from the early 19th century.
Manuela Vetrano of the blog La Civetta di Torino, accredited operator, accompanies the group inside the large, fascinating field - a city in the city.

With a message: a city designed better in buildings, in interiors, in public space is a city capable of making us live better.
Open House Torino is an invitation to discover, in a big party for curiosity and a sense of belonging.

The event is organized by the cultural association Open House Torino, formed in 2017 by a group of architects and city enthusiasts.

FREE VISIT WITH RESERVATION REQUIREMENT - MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS 30

MORE DETAILS


WHAT IS OHT

Open House Turin is a totally free public event, designed to allow you to visit houses, buildings, places that are not normally accessible and thus discover the richness of architecture and the urban landscape. For a weekend a year gives the opportunity to visit historic, modern or contemporary buildings, private apartments, offices, green or social spaces, excellence in the city, recovered structures.
The event of 8-9 June 2019 will be the third Turin edition of an international format.
The idea of ​​Open House was born in London in 1992 from the work of founder Victoria Thornton and has since spread throughout the world. To date, the cities of the Open House Worldwide network are more than thirty, distributed in every continent.
In Italy, Turin follows Open House Rome (from 2012) and Open House Milan (from 2016).
The first edition in 2017 was a great success, with over 38 thousand visits and around 15 thousand visitors on over 100 buildings. In the second edition the event has grown further, exceeding 55 thousand visits and 18 thousand visitors in more than 140 places.
Open House Turin is aimed at all citizens, not just the core of architects, and asks all of them to support them as volunteers, owners, designers or simply to help spread the project - share with #openhousetorino! The aim of the event is to get to know the public together a great common heritage and reflect on the role of the places in which we live.

WDEC 2019 Spoon River on the banks of the river Po in Turin (IT)

4/6/19 Monumental cemetery of Turin - "Spoon River on the banks of the PO"
An appointment with the final representation of the creative writing workshop on the collective memory kept at the cemetery, created by AFC Torino SpA, edited by the writer Culicchia with music by Li Calzi and the words of the boys of Liceo D'Azeglio. After reading Lee Master's famous anthology and visiting the graves of some characters belonging to the culture of the city and the country, from Silvio Pellico to Macario and Fred Buscaglione, on the wave of suggestions and emotions, the students of the third classical high school of Professor Marco Vacchetti, followed by Culicchia, have released their poetic creativity.
Free entry from Via Varano 39.

More information

WDEC 2019 TURIN Public talk to introduce the book "STTL -SIT TIBI TERRA LEVIS"

In occasion of  WDEC 2019
In Turin, Italy  on 25th of May at 6pm in City Library Primo Levi, Leoncavallo street, 17

Meeting with the author.
Luca Cardinalini presents "STTL Sit tibi terra levis" Editrice Derive Approdi presentation in collaboration with the cemetery services of the City of Turin.
The book is a journey through the cemeteries of Italy, a sort of guided visit to the characters who have written important pages of Italian post-war history: politicians, singers, actors, sportsmen, writers ...


Luca Cardinalini.

Born in Marsciano in the province of Perugia (IT), in February 1962. He is a journalist for Rai Sport

ASCE at International Tourism Fare in Berlin

Presented at the stand of Kulturrouten des Europarats in Deutschland.

ASCE at the Open Day in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany

On the 25th of August there will be an "Open Day in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany" in Berlin.