MOMAr study tour: 18 European experts share best practices in the Czech Republic

Territorio Mudéjar has taken part in the study trip-visit to South Bohemia, in the Czech Republic, as part of the MOMAr programme, in which it participates.

After two years of work identifying good practices in heritage management in rural areas of Europe, this trip has allowed the projects presented by the partner from the Czech Republic to be seen on the ground. A form of knowledge exchange between international experts that offers the possibility of assessing the importation of successful cases to the reality of heritage in Zaragoza.

The conference began with a presentation of the tourist offer of the South Bohemia region by the director of the regional tourist office, together with a visit to the castle hotel in the town of Hluvoboká nad vltavou.

Afterwards, a visit was made to a historic malting plant in the village of Písek as an example of reconstruction of industrial heritage for social use. The building is now a public toy library offering educational exhibitions for children, with great success among the local population.

The experts got to know the Soběslav municipal library, a success story in the recovery of a disused historical space. The public facility is located in what used to be a medieval castle, which, thanks to the architectural renovation initiated by the residents, now offers a communal space for the local community dedicated to culture.

On the second day, the trip began with a visit to the monument to the national hero, Jan Žižka, in the village of Trocnov, a replica of a medieval farmhouse completely reconstructed with original materials and techniques. It is a necessary and unique place for the recovery of historical memory in the whole country, as no original building from that time has been preserved.

There was also a visit to a 14th century castle which the Malše River Castles Association is rebuilding through a cross-border cooperation project with Austria and which is part of an extensive line of defence along the common border.

There, a working session was held between the project partners to analyse cases of heritage infragestion and from which it was concluded that it is necessary to include the local population in all heritage management projects. Together with the Libau Foundation of Groningen, Territorio Mudéjar participated as a stakeholder, contributing its experience in the management of heritage resources in rural areas as part of local development in all its facets.

The day ended with a tour of the Renaissance town of Český Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town attracted millions of tourists before the pandemic but the consequences on international mobility have made it a case study because of the challenges and opportunities that are now opening up in the field of heritage management.

The Spanish delegation was made up of those responsible for the project on behalf of the Diputación de Zaragoza, Lorena Laga and Isabel Soria, as well as the director of Territorio Mudéjar, Victoria Trasobares; and the mayors of Quinto, Jesús Morales; of Torrellas, María Pilar Pérez; and of Velilla de Ebro, María Rosario Gómez.

They were accompanied by MOMAr’s European partners from Mehedinti County (Romania), the region of Saxony-Anhalt (Germany), the province of Groningen (The Netherlands), the Czech hosts, and the project’s technical advisory committee formed by Irene Ruíz and Marisa Sebastián.

Project MOMAr: Heritage beyond tourism

At Territorio Mudéjar we strive to develop Mudejar heritage management practices that foster responsible, sustainable tourism designed by those in the places where the heritage is located, always in conjunction with their inhabitants. We are convinced that preservation, research and dissemination of the Mudejar identity are key factors in the creation of tourism activities.

To consolidate this aim and share best practices, from today until November 13, we will be attending the second Interregional Event for Exchange of Experiences 2 (IEE 2), held in the province of Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands, entitled “Heritage, further than tourism: a sustainable future”.

Researcher Irene Ruiz Bazán (professor at the Polytechnic of Turin and Territorio Mudéjar fieldwork researcher) was in charge of moderating the good practice seminars in which several towns belonging to our network stood out in the presentation of unique projects.

The mayor of Torrellas, María Pilar Pérez, presented the Miau urban art project, which has been in place in the town since 2016.

From Alagón, as part of the Heritage and Education seminar, Julián Millán and Pablo Sebastián discussed the interesting work they are doing at the Ribera Alta del Ebro Workshop School.

And from Daroca, Irene Ruiz mentioned the work being done in Territorio Mudéjar, with contributions from researchers Ricardo Monreal and Marta López – 2020 Fieldwork grants – in the Mudejar civil architecture management project, which they are carrying out in accordance with the objectives of the new Fundación Campo de Daroca management body, reaching an important milestone by converting the Palacio de los Luna into a benchmark and a management model for private civil architecture.

On Friday, streaming from the Museo de Momias in Quinto, it will be time to look to the future in the conclusion sessions and also in the workshop on rural heritage management in the era of COVID-19, an issue that Territorio Mudéjar has thoroughly addressed so as to remain active while complying with all the safety measures and ensuring the safety of our visitors, but also, above all, that of the inhabitants of our towns.

Moreover, we have launched a multiplatform digital work solution in order to continue progressing with our projects online, aiming to work in an effective, innovative manner with historical and artistic resources, to the benefit of Mudejar heritage and our region.

Territorio Mudéjar has a strong presence in this forum, in which up to 12 people from our network are participating: students in the Challenge Program, members of city councils like those of Villarreal de Huerva and Maluenda, 2019 and 2020 fieldwork researchers, and more.

* Territorio Mudéjar is a member of MOMAr Interreg Europe (Models of Management for Singular Rural Heritage / Modelos de Gestión para el Patrimonio Rural Singular), which, under the leadership of the Provincial Government of Zaragoza and funded by the European Union, involves entities from six different countries.

Territorio Mudéjar presents its model at the MOMAr Interreg Europe meeting in Corsica

At this event, we exchanged good practices in managing sustainable rural heritage with a focus on people

Territorio Mudéjar traveled to the French island of Corsica to take part in a meeting of the MOMAr Interreg Europe project*, an initiative led by the Provincial Government of Zaragoza for the purpose of designing new rural heritage management models that foster sustainable development and adapt to the specific features of each region.

There, we exchanged good practices on a highly interesting topic: “Without people, there are no resources: local management exchanges observing efficiency, sustainability and demographic fragility”. This idea is in Territorio Mudéjar’s genes, since we work as a network around heritage resources in the Mudejar field, always closely linked to the towns and their inhabitants. We are convinced that heritage is alive and evolving because it is part of a context that is lived in, urban, and in the midst of people.

Some of the inspirational examples of heritage management that we learned about include the Route of the Romanesque in Germany, the monumental churches and farms in Groningen (the Netherlands), the efforts to preserve traditional Romanian embroidery on blouses in Mehedinti county and, of course, two projects from Aragon: the sustainable networked management of Territorio Mudéjar and promotion of the ancient village of Belchite (Provincial Government of Zaragoza).

Territorio Mudéjar discussed the management of cultural heritage as a possible strategy for the future. We believe that places in which historical, cultural and natural heritage resources are managed in a conscientious and intelligent manner are resilient, distinctive and identity-based. Places for investment, development and future.

Our efforts are based on these foundations, and this is how we have explained it at the meeting, in addition to discussing how our unified, collaborative network for heritage management works, and talking about all aspects of the Mudejar (architecture, urban design, landscape, popular culture and more) and about the projects we are implementing.

Together, we strive to design new strategies for rural heritage management that foster sustainable development and adapt to the unique identity of each region.

Our hosts gave us a first-hand view of how they work at the Corsican Movable Heritage Conservation and Restoration Center (CCRPMC) located at Fort Charlet in the town of #Calvi, which is in charge of safeguarding the knowledge, preservation and promotion of this heritage. There, we discovered their resources and magnificent artistic and religious heritage.

We also traveled to the city of Corte to learn about the project for the transformation of its citadel, built in the 15th century, and its watchtower, which presides over the entire city. In addition, we also visited the temporary exhibitions at the Museum of Corsica.

*MOMAr is the acronym for the project name: Models of Management for Singular Rural Heritage.

More information: https://www.interregeurope.eu/momar/

Territorio Mudéjar participates in the first meeting of the European MOMAr project

The aim of this project, which involves regions from five other countries and which will continue until January 2023, is to design new models for managing unique rural heritage.

In conjunction with other entities devoted to heritage management and rural development, Territorio Mudéjar took part in the first meeting with local agents from the province of Zaragoza in the European Interreg MOMAr project –Models of Management for Singular Rural Heritage-, an initiative led by the Provincial Government of Zaragoza for the purpose of designing new rural heritage management models that foster sustainable development and adapt to the specific features of each region.

The MOMAr project has a budget of EUR 1.2 million, and involves five other regional governments from five different European countries. It was approved last year, began in September with an initial meeting in Zaragoza of the six participating administrations, and will continue until January 2023.

The ultimate goal is to create a working document that outlines an action plan for the province of Zaragoza entailing all the stakeholders involved in heritage management and dissemination.

More information: https://www.interregeurope.eu/momar/

Video: https://www.facebook.com/315247192523931/videos/577438746140624/