EUROMED: Mediterranean Voices & the Adriatic Cultural Heritage

The main aim of the Mediterranean Voices project was to reverse the customary emphasis given to monumental heritage and to promote an awareness of the intangible cultural heritage of Mediterranean urban landscapes amongst as wide an audience as possible: academics, policy-makers, civil society organisations, educational institutions, and the general public, particularly members of the 'Mediterranean diaspora'. The Istituto per l'Europa Centro-Orientale e Balcanica took part in the project (led by the London Metropolitan University and partly financed by the EU within the framework of the EuroMed Heritage II programme) between 2002 and 2006, focusing the research on the cities of Ancona and Split, twinned by 1970 by an exchange programme. A staff of researchers from the Universities of Bologna and Ancona studied the history and the development of trade, cultural and political relationships between the two Adriatic cities and highlighted their cosmopolitan character in the Mediterranean perspective. Two exhibitions were promoted: the first one in Alexandria on the topic: «Shared Spaces in Times of Crises: Memories of Alexandria, Ancona, Beirut, Bethlehem and Split» and the second at the prestigious Mole Vanvitelliana in Ancona. Under the title «Mare Coniungit. Ancona and the Mediterranean Sea», the latter described the historical roots and the local heritage of the city with a focus on the external historical, religious and cultural aspects that influenced its development.

The project was developed from the work of three social anthropologists (Scott, Selwyn, Bianchi) working in the International Institute for Culture Tourism and Development at London Metropolitan University:

EUROMED is based on a partnership with a number of different institutions, including universities, non-governmental organisations and independent research agencies, in the cities of, Alexandria, Ancona, Beirut, Bethlehem, Chania, Ciutat de Mallorca, Granada, Istanbul, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Marseille, Nicosia North, Nicosia South, and Valletta.