The winners of the 2014 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards were honoured Monday, May 5 during a ceremony in Vienna.

Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, and Plácido Domingo, the opera singer and President of Europa Nostra,  presented the awards to the 27 winners assembled at the Austrian capital’s Burgtheater. They revealed the names of the six ‘Grand Prix’ laureates and winner of the public choice award, chosen in an online poll from among this year’s winning projects. Around 1 000 people are expected to attend the ceremony, which is held under the patronage of the Federal President of Austria, Heinz Fischer.

The six Grand Prix laureates are selected by independent expert juries in four categories:

Conservation

  • Walser Houses: Preservation of Vernacular Architecture in Alagna Valsesia, Italy
  • Dragomirna Church: Restoration of the 17th Century Frescoes, Suceava, Romania
  • Cooperative Wineries Conservation Programme, Catalonia, Spain.

Research

  • Research on the Roman Vaulted Construction in the Peloponnese, Greece

Dedicated service

  • Heritage Association ‘Kempens Landscape’, Putte, Belgium

Education, training and awareness-raising 

  • Raising Awareness Project ‘Passage: From a Rusty City to a New Miskolc’, Hungary

Public choice award

Over 10 000 people voted for the public choice award from among this year’s 27 winners via an online poll on the Europa Nostra website. The winner is Dragomirna Church: Restoration of the 17th Century Frescoes, Suceava, Romania

“Europe’s heritage is the envy of the world – and these projects are the best of the best. It is important that we celebrate the talent of our superb craftspeople and professionals, as well as the wonderful, tireless work of volunteers who ensure that the treasures of our past can be enjoyed by millions of people today – and safeguarded for future generations,” Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said.

“My warmest congratulations go to all the winners and their teams, the Grand Prix laureates and public choice winner. The European Commission is proud to support the EU Prize for Heritage and other heritage projects through our new Creative Europe programme,” she said.

Europa Nostra’s President, Plácido Domingo said that “Vienna, one of the most notable capitals of European culture and one of my favourite cities in the world, with an exceptionally rich legacy of classical music, opera, theatre, fine arts and architecture, is the ideal setting in which to pay homage to the winners of our awards and thus to celebrate our unique tangible and intangible heritage.”

“Tonight, at the iconic Burgtheater, we shall be inspired by musical performances by great Viennese ensembles – The Philharmonics and the Vienna Boys’ Choir – as well as by the talented children’s orchestra Superar. They will be the perfect ambassadors of the amazing creativity and diversity of Europe’s musical heritage,” Domingo said.

Full statement at: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-510_en.htm