Thirteen new sites have been recognised by the European Heritage Label, awarded by the European Commission. The Royal Estate and Museum of Mariemont is the only Belgian site to receive this award.
The European Heritage Label (EHL) is one of the flagship initiatives of the Creative Europe programme. It recognises sites that have made their mark on the history, culture and development of the European Union.
Launched in 2013, the label is awarded to new sites each year. This year's list of recognised sites is the second longest ever drawn up demonstrating the growing importance of cultural recognition.
This distinction highlights the winners’ commitment to raising public awareness, with a particular focus on inspiring young audiences. In the case of Mariemont, it recognises its European value, centuries-old history, rich heritage and the project that drives it today.
As a scientific and heritage institution of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, the Royal Estate and Museum of Mariemont fully embraces the following missions:
- To conserve the heritage it houses and promotes, in particular by maintaining and even improving the physical condition of the works in its collections.
- To carry out fundamental research in the various disciplines covered by the collections, but also applied research on practices and trends in the museum sector.
- To showcase exceptional heritage that must be promoted at all levels and thus made available to as many people as possible.
- To provide a public service through a diverse cultural offering that is able to appeal to a wide variety of visitors, supported by a communication strategy that highlights the site as a whole to its best advantage.
The official label award ceremony will take place on 22 April in Brussels in the presence of Commissioner Micallef (Intergenerational Justice, Youth, Culture and Sport), representatives of the European Parliament, experts, stakeholders and other important figures from the world of cultural heritage.
A jewel of Wallonia, now recognised as European cultural heritage, to be (re)discovered without delay.
Other recognised sites
- Austria: Landeszeughaus Graz
- Bulgaria: Provadia salt mine and urban centre
- Czech Republic: Freedom of Expression Space
- Germany: The Pader, urban river landscape
- Spain: La Nau cultural centre
- Finland: Industrial heritage of Varkaus
- France: Rashi of Troyes – commemorative sites
- Portugal, Spain, France, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and Bulgaria: Places of peace
- Italy: Bosco Delle Querce
- Malta: St Paul’s Catacombs
- Poland: Krzysztof Penderecki European music centre
- Portugal: Lagar Velho rock shelter
