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European Heritage Awards: Saxon Church of Alma Vii receives Grand Prix, Public Choice Award
The project for the rehabilitation of the Saxon Church of Alma Vii - Romania is the big winner of the 2024 European Heritage Awards, being rewarded with both a Grand Prix and the Public Choice Award, awarded on Monday evening during a ceremony held at the Romanian Athenaeum.
This impressive initiative received the highest number of votes in an online poll of around 10,000 citizens across Europe.
The Saxon Church in Alma Vii represents a project that restored a cultural landmark that symbolises centuries of history and craftsmanship in the picturesque village of Alma Vii in Transylvania. The comprehensive restoration not only preserved the church's architectural and historical integrity but also empowered the local community and fostered sustainable tourism development. The project, supported by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation and EEA Grants, was coordinated by the Mihai Eminescu Foundation.
Next were the Teryan Cultural Center - Empowering Armenian Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan, Armenia, and St. Michael's Church, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Culture Minister Raluca Turcan voiced herself "very proud that, year after year, Romania is represented in this prestigious selection of excellent Europa Nostra projects."
A message from Romania's President Klaus Iohannis was conveyed by presidential adviser Sergiu Nistor, in which the president congratulates the winners and encourages the authorities to place the cultural heritage in the focus of development visions.
European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Iliana Ivanova expressed her satisfaction for the celebration of the "common commitment to preserve Europe's cultural heritage."
Executive President of Europa Nostra Hermann Parzinger voiced his satisfaction for the organisation of this Heritage Summit in Romania because it is a testimony of the commitment of Romanian citizens and institutions to preserve tangible and intangible heritage, which is reflected in the large number of European awards that have been given to Romanian projects in recent years.
The event at the Athenaeum included musical moments performed by the Romanian symphonic ensemble Violoncellissimo, conducted by Prof. Marin Cazacu, Director General of the George Enescu Philharmonic.
The Awards Ceremony was the biggest event of the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2024, which is taking place in Bucharest between October 6 and 8. The Summit is organised by Europa Nostra and co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, and takes place under the High Patronage of the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis.
The call for entries for the 2025 edition of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards is open. Applications can be submitted online via www.europeanheritageawards.eu until November 20, 2024.