The European Commission has made a decision: the project Cisterscapes - Cistercian landscapes connect Europe received the European Heritage Label (EHL). The project includes 17 representatives of the Cistercian provinces from five European countries, among them also Slovenia.
The Slovenian partners in the project are a national museum The Slovene Museum of Christianity, which operates in a part of the ancient Cistercian Abbey of Stična, and the Božidar Jakac Gallery - a museum of modern and contemporary art, which operates in the former Cistercian monastery in Kostanjevica on Krka.
Every two years, the European Union selects European cultural monuments, cultural landscapes, areas and memorials for the award of the European Heritage Label (EHL). With the slogan "Europe starts here", the monuments confidently proclaim their contribution to European identity.
Since 2019, Cisterscapes has been implementing an international and international connection that enables the experience of former Cistercian landscapes with their unique natural and cultural treasures. Since its foundation in 1098, the Cistercian Order has been considered an effective organization that has spread throughout Europe and left traces to the present day. The Cisterscapes project brings this successful network to life. The 6,400 km long "Cistercian Way" hiking trail thus connects monasteries from different countries: Germany, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia.
With this seal, the European Commission confirms the important role of the Cistercians in European integration, as it recognizes their modern network of provinces as an exceptional and far-sighted initiative. The rural areas of the Cistercian provinces are also receiving well-deserved international recognition as cultural monuments.
"Given the current challenges in Europe, awarding the sign to the Cisterscapes project is an important positive step towards the European tradition of partnership and cooperation on the basis of equality. Our common goal is the development of Cistercian landscapes for the sustainable future of Europe," emphasizes Johann Kalb, president of the Bamberg district council and initiator and coordinator of this large-scale project.
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