On a day like today in 2018, after many months of work, the association Territorio Mudéjar was set up as a unified and collaborative management network for the use of the historical and artistic resources linked to the important Mudejar heritage and which would serve as a driving force for the development of our villages.
Five years later, we celebrate our anniversary as a solid entity of 47 partners, with a multidisciplinary team of professionals, researchers and students; with international projects, a rich calendar of activities and, above all, an experience in responsible and professional heritage management always in search of local development and impact on localities.
The birthday surprises us at work, as usual. After attending our partners in a personalised way, today we are participating in an event of the Digitour project, which promotes the digitalisation and innovation of SMEs in the tourism sector. In this session, Victoria Trasobares, director of Territorio Mudéjar, and Miguel Bielsa, from Estudio Mique, will participate virtually in a meeting held in Burgas, Bulgaria, where they will give details of the project led by Territorio Mudéjar. Our organisation is coordinating the design of a quality seal to distinguish local establishments that offer appropriate services for scientific tourism linked to heritage and cultural resources. Specifically, the pilot project phase has begun with the redesign of the brand of the Posada del Almudí in Daroca, a hotel opened in a historic building with an interesting rehabilitation, and an establishment in Romania, Pensiunea Septiembrie in the town of Elsenita immersed in the spectacular cultural landscape of the Danube River.
At the same time, we are working with the Andalusian Medinas Network to form a working team that we will soon be telling you about. This network is an instrument for the economic and social development of the territories participating in the tourist experience. It aims to enhance the value of the Andalusian medinas and what their tangible and intangible heritage represents as a contribution of the Andalusian civilisation, particularly in its diversity (ethnic, linguistic and religious), as well as its techniques, sciences and arts.
We are also making progress in personalised management with our partners, studying their needs and signing various special agreements with them to form work teams to provide technical and scientific advice on projects such as the Tourism Sustainability Plan for the destination of Daroca or the special ones for Fuentes de Ebro, Ricla and San Mateo de Gállego to carry out specific activities.
We are about to launch our Mudejar Territory Routes 2023-2024 through the villages.
We continue to participate in international events that position us as an example of management, such as Cultourfair in Seville, one of the most prestigious fairs in cultural tourism related to heritage. In addition, we have already closed some 70 meetings with organisations from all over the world.
Soon we will also inform you that the Territorio Mudéjar team led by Victoria Trasobares has been selected by the Ministry of Culture to carry out the preparatory work for the management plan of the “Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon” as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Our network of researchers continues to grow with the new call for Stays and Projects that we are about to resolve and with the great success of our call for artistic residencies.
Our team of students is also growing thanks to the Desafío-Unita programme, which trains new professionals in heritage management.
And we are also growing in membership, which is our essence. With the incorporation of Tarazona, Pozuel de Ariza, Herrera de los Navarros, Ariza, Cariñena and Muel we have reached 47 members plus one collaborating member.
Many thanks to all of you who make it possible for us to continue growing with the compass that the Mudejar heritage is an engine for the development of the villages and an element of identity for the maintenance of the communities that make up our territory.
