On 26 January, the Aeneas Route Association gathered at the Colosseum Archaeological Park at the Curia Iulia in Rome and celebrated the certification as “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe”, awarded by the Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) in 2021.
The certification ceremony received the patronage of the Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Ambassador Valeria BIAGIOTTI, from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Task Force for the Italian Presidency of the Council of Europe, opened the certification Ceremony
The certification "Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” was awarded to Mr. Giovanni CAFIERO, President of the Aeneas Route Association, on behalf of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe by Ambassador Valeria BIAGIOTTI and by Mr. Stefano DOMINIONI, Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA).
The meeting was opened by Ms. Alfonsina RUSSO, Director of the Colosseum Archaeological Park and local authorities, whowelcomed authorities and institutions of the five countries involved in the Route (Italy, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Albania) and representatives of the international network of local and regional authorities and cultural institutions.
On this special occasion, the plaque “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” was awarded to representatives of the Embassies of Albania, Greece, Tunisia, Turkey and the network members of Aeneas Route.
The Certification Ceremony was attended by the delegation of the city of Edremit, Turkey and network members from 5 countries represented in the Route. the Ambassadors of Turkey, Albania, Greece and Tunisia received a special commemorative plaque on the occasion. The event concluded with a guided tour through the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum for all participants todiscover the local places of the myth of Aeneas.
On 25 January, an international seminar on “The role of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in regenerating tourism and strengthening the common European heritage” was held in the prestigious Sapienza University of Rome, as part of the certification ceremony organised by the Aeneas Route.
The Aeneas Route is an archaeological Route which stretches from the coasts of Turkey (North-West Aegean Sea) to the shores of Latium Vetus in Italy and traces the journey of the legend of Aeneas, as narrated by the Latin poet Virgil in the Aeneid epic. Throughout the centuries, the narration of Aeneas became a common cultural heritage that unites many Mediterranean countries and civilisations and is the subject of countless paintings, mosaics, sculptures and works of art. It connects the most important sites in Europe associated with the mythical hero.
For further information, the programmes are available here and here.
