On Tuesday, September 10, the first interregional meeting of the CHARME project, “digital Cultural Heritage Activities acRoss Multiple European regions”, took place in the council hall of the Municipality of Pavia. Co-financed by the European Union (Interreg Europe Program 2021-2027), the project aims at promoting innovation, economic growth and cultural inclusion, by connecting the preservation of cultural heritage with digital technologies. This event is an important milestone in the project’s path and a significant opportunity to strengthen the acquaintance and relationship between the Municipality of Pavia, the University of Pavia, and the involved European municipalities.
The mayor of Pavia, Mr. Michele Lissia, and the City Councilor for Twinning and International Cooperation, Mr. Francesco Brendolise, welcomed all international guests who had traveled to Pavia for the occasion, including the mayor of Poitiers, Léonore Moncond’huy (France), the Head of Institutional and International Affairs of the Municipality of Coimbra, Joana Gouveia Loureiro (Portugal), the Head of International Relations and Cultural Programs of the Municipality of Iaşi, Elena Farca (Romania), the Project Manager of the Museum of History and Future of the Municipality of Turku, Ville-Matti Rautjoki (Finland), and the Deputy Director of the Lviv Bureau of European Integration, Yuliia Katynska (Ukraine). Also present was Stefania Tamborini, Head of Communication, Cultural Activities and Enterprises of Lombardia Region, and Prof. Antonella Forlino, Pro-rector for Internationalization at the University of Pavia, who expressed great satisfaction with the project.
“The path that brings us here today began in 2020 with the creation of the EC2U Alliance” – Forlino stated – “a European project that allowed the University of Pavia to initiate innovative education and training programmes with the involved partner universities. The next challenge was to extend this collaboration to the municipalities. The University of Pavia has managed to create a strong bond with its own city: it is important for students to be citizens too, just like it is essential for the city to consider students as part of the community. This reflection can extend beyond local and national borders, as it is at the core of the concept of European citizenship. The Alliance serves as a connection point to create innovative initiatives in the field of higher education and lifelong learning, involving both students and citizens. The collaboration we have initiated will allow all of us to have a voice in shaping our future, especially for next generations.”
THREE DAYS TO “LEARN FROM THE OTHERS”
The event – running from September 10 to 12 – is organized by the Municipality of Pavia (project leader) in collaboration with the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture of the University of Pavia (advisory partner). It involves the municipalities of Coimbra (Portugal), Iasi (Romania), and Turku (Finland), the Urban Community of Grand Poitiers (France), and the Lviv Bureau of European Integration (Ukraine), which are already part of the EC2U European Alliance. Additionally, nine Italian stakeholders will participate and contribute to the development of various actions and initiatives in different fields of interest.
The ongoing activities are oriented towards mutual learning about digitizing cultural heritage, as outlined in the project. These include the thematic seminar “Digital Heritage: Challenges and Opportunities from Knowledge to Enhancement” conducted by DICAr (University of Pavia), the opportunity to visit three “best practices” examples in Pavia (Basilica of San Michele Maggiore, the Visconti Castle, and Collegio Castiglioni) and a workshop aimed to share good practices among all partners, for drafting common guidelines.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The CHARME project will also be presented at the EC2U Forum in Linz (Austria), from October 21 to 24.
Visit the CHARME website: https://www.interregeurope.eu/charme