Promotion of rural museums and heritage sites in the vicinity of European pilgrimage routes (rurALLURE)

Programme(s):
H2020-EU.3.6.2.4. - Promote coherent and effective cooperation with third countries
H2020-EU.3.6.3.1. - Study European heritage, memory, identity, integration and cultural interaction and translation, including its representations in cultural and scientific collections, archives and museums, to better inform and understand the present by richer interpretations of the past

Topic(s):
TRANSFORMATIONS-19-2020 - Culture beyond borders – Facilitating innovation and research cooperation between European museums and heritage sites

Call for proposal: H2020-SC6-TRANSFORMATIONS-2020

Funding Scheme: CSA - Coordination and support action

Grant agreement ID: 101004887

Project description: 

Spreading the benefits of pilgrimages in Europe

Pilgrimage routes are a significant cultural, economic and political asset for Europe. For instance, the economic impact of Santiago de Compostela – one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in Europe – was estimated to exceed EUR 300 million in 2019. While some routes already benefit from strong support from regional, national and European institutions, the EU-funded rurAllure project will help ensure that nearby provinces and regions of a predominantly rural nature (which are facing significant economic and demographic challenges) also benefit from the flows of pilgrims. The project will establish a network of cultural institutions, such museums and natural heritage sites, that could benefit from increased visibility among those who travel along the pilgrimage routes.

Objective:

The rurALLURE action aims to leverage the state-of-the-art in information technologies in order to promote rural museums and heritage sites in the vicinity of major European pilgrimage routes. The goal is to foster symbiosis between the rural environment and the pilgrimage routes, so that the ongoing investment in the latter permeates to the nearby rural areas and, the other way round, the cultural experience of the pilgrimage is enriched by the vast cultural heritage that most often goes unnoticed. rurALLURE will connect cultural heritage collections and venues to present Europe’s cultural heritage in the wider historical and geographical context, leveraging the role of museums in preserving and managing cultural heritage, and collaborating with national and transnational associations to develop and promote cultural tourism. It will also foster sustained cooperation between museums and heritage sites to increase European public interest, cultural tourism and the innovation potentials of these institutions for heritage sciences and the cultural and creative sectors. Finally, it will conduct work to identifying gaps and obstacles, as well as best practices and fields where research and innovation can develop new solutions for successful cooperation.