Winners of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards 2018 were announced by the European Commission and the Europe’s most prestigious organization in the area of cultural heritage Europa Nostra on 15 May 2018. The Prize honours 29 outstanding heritage achievements from 17 countries for their best practices related to heritage conservation, research, dedicated service and education and communication. Among the winners is the project of the rescue of St. Wenceslas Rotunda in Prague supported by the EEA Grants in the last period 2009-2014.

Citizens of all European and other countries can vote on the internet in the category Public Choice Award, either for their national candidates of for projects from other countries.

Independent juries evaluated 160 applications, submitted by organizations and individuals from 31 European countries and selected the winners.

St. Wenceslas Rotunda in Prague

This ambitious project restored and conserved the surviving nave of a Romanesque rotunda, which dates back to the late 11th-century and reveals the origins of the city of Prague. The remains were discovered in a newly uncovered space inside a building of Charles University (within a UNESCO World Heritage Area). The restoration work was based on the premise of minimizing any visible interventions. The project, led by a team at Charles University in Prague, was supported by EEA/Norway grants and private donors.

The jury appreciated “the display of the archaeological layers and the efforts in presenting and interpreting these remains. The project is an example of good in situ preservation”.

More information about the project: http://www.nase-rotunda.cz/en/

The EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards was launched in 2002 by the European Commission and has been organised by Europa Nostra since then. The Prize celebrates and promotes best practices related to heritage conservation, management, research, education and communication. In this way, it contributes to a stronger public recognition of cultural heritage as a strategic resource for Europe’s society and economy. The Prize is awarded with support of Creative Europe, programme of the European Union.