Application for certification
(2023-2024 cycle)
Each year, the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) awards the certification "Cultural Route of the Council of Europe" to cultural route network applicants fulfilling the criteria set out in Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Resolution CM/Res(2013)67.
Five candidate networks to the "Cultural Route of the Council of Europe" certification are subject to evaluation in the framework of the 2022-2023 Certification Cycle:
- AROMAS ITINERARIUM SALUTIS - The European Route of Historical Pharmacies and Medicinal Gardens
- European Paganini Route
- European Network of Holy Week and Easter Celebrations
- European Leonardo Da Vinci Ways
- Via Querinissima
AROMAS ITINERARIUM SALUTIS - The European Route of Historical Pharmacies and Medicinal Gardens
AROMAS ITINERARIUM SALUTIS is a cultural Route focused on Historical Pharmacies and Medicinal Gardens, as an expression of a cultural and natural heritage of great importance in the social, economic, cultural and artistic history of Europe. The network brings together historical pharmacies and medicinal gardens that were part of monasteries, convents, hospitals, cities and communities in Europe since the 15th century. These pharmacies and gardens gave origin to a rich cultural legacy that brought together medicinal knowledge from the ancient Mediterranean with new traditions from America, which remained alive and in use until the 21st century.
Whether they were located in monasteries or in the midst of small and large communities, these establishments and their medicinal gardens were the source of knowledge of millenary origin, based on the diversity of active principles of therapeutic application of the plants cultivated there, and which were used for hygienic, cosmetic, aromatic, food and ritual purposes. Over time, this knowledge permeated the homes of its inhabitants and became a source of cultural identity that united their populations on a social, territorial, and cultural level.
The network currently includes members in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Switzerland.
European Paganini Route
The European Paganini Route focuses on the figure of Niccolò Paganini (Genoa, Italy; 27 October 1782 - Nice, 27 May 1840), a renowned Genovese violinist who played a decisive role, not only in the field of music, but also as an expression of a historical era of great changes, which led to the establishment of a new European citizenship, between the 18th and 19th centuries. In contact with other great composers and musicians of his time in various European countries, Paganini consolidated himself as a unique European artist, whose fame is still very much alive today, an inspiration for younger generations.
Paganini’s journeys were documented on the basis of correspondence and documents, in particular, the stages of his memorable tour from 1828 to 1834, throughout Europe, spanning over 20,000 km in 9 countries and performing over 400 concerts.
Today, the European Paganini Route brings together palaces, squares, guesthouses, hotels, concert halls, theatres, cities, and churches that were the setting for important events in the life of Niccolò Paganini. By visiting these places, travellers can participate in artistic, cultural, educational and academic activities, while experiencing and discovering one of the most eclectic and brilliant musicians of all time.
The network currently involves members in Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom.
European Network of Holy Week and Easter Celebrations
The European Network of Holy Week and Easter Celebrations promotes two of the most relevant festivities of the Christian Calendar. The rituals and traditions associated to both Easter and the Holy Week are found in all Christian confessions of Europe and are deeply rooted among people, constituting an essential symbol of their identity. They represent a living heritage that has adapted to diverse realities and to local circumstances over time.
Holy Week Celebrations represent a rich immaterial heritage that brings together a broad variety of artistic forms such as music, theatre, sculpture, painting, architecture, gastronomy and crafts. Rituals have evolved in accordance with artistic, social and cultural influences and nowadays offer a broad variety of celebrations that share a common foundation. Every year, these celebrations attract thousands of visitors to different towns, each of them displaying own unique celebrations that are nevertheless underlined by common values.
The network currently involves members in Croatia, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.
European Leonardo da Vinci Ways
The European Leonardo da Vinci ways is an itinerary of discovery of one of the most eminent artistic and scientific personalities of 16th century Europe. The Route retraces the most outstanding moments of Leonardo's life in Italy, Slovenia, and France as well as the places where his main artistic works are kept and where his masterpieces and inventions were created.
Leonardo da Vinci was born in Vinci (Italy) in 1452 and died in Amboise (France) in 1519, thus traversing the European Renaissance as a protagonist. His legacy is reflected by his multifaceted research and the peculiar interdisciplinarity of his studies. He outlined a path that combines humanism and science, thus prefiguring a perspective of collaboration between humanistic and technological culture. He thoroughly investigated nature in all its forms, introducing a method that anticipated that of the experimental science of later centuries.
The network currently includes members from France, Italy, Slovenia and Türkiye.
Via Querinissima
Via Querinissima is a cultural route that retraces the journey by sea and land of Pietro Querini, a Venetian patrician who sailed from Candia (Crete) to Flanders in 1431. During this journey, Querini and his crew were surprised by storms and pushed to Sandøy, in the Lofoten archipelago (Norway). The survivors were rescued by fishermen from the nearby island of Røst, where they were welcomed and hosted for several months.
Querini’s journey has allowed to create connections among different and distant European regions, thus creating a unique common cultural heritage among the countries travelled through the sharing of traditions, customs and knowledge. The memory of this journey, conserved in the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana of Venice and in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana in Rome, created a strong connection between Italy and Norway, and with the regions crossed by Querini and his crew.
Via Querinissima aims to highlight the values of hospitality, solidarity, knowledge and encounter narrated by Pietro Querini's adventure. The route brings together territories described in Querini’s travel memories, as well as the places and sites travelled during the return to Venice and other major sites linked to his life and journey.
The network currently involves members in Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden.