A new year is a good moment to pause and ask where we are going as a network. For FORTE CULTURA, 2026 will be important: we are preparing our application to become a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe and, at the same time, we want to grow as a real community, not just a list of members.

The certification issued by the European Institute for Cultural Routes (EICR) will not depend only on the quality of our documents. It will also depend on how “alive” the route appears from the outside: how much our members use the FORTE CULTURA name and logo, how often we communicate together, how clearly we show that we share a story and a direction. If you want a simple explanation of why the EICR certification matters and how we plan to get there, I invite you to watch the presentation from our last Online Member Meeting.

This is why, in the coming months, we will insist more on community: reposting and adapting network content, contributing short news and photos from your sites, and using the FORTE CULTURA identity in your daily work are not cosmetic details, they are part of our credibility as a European route.

Among the steps ahead, one event deserves special attention: the Congrès FORTE CULTURA en La Línea de la Concepción (Spain), 21–24 April 2026. La Línea, facing the Rock of Gibraltar, symbolises very well what we want to achieve: fortified heritage reinterpreted as a place for sustainable tourism, cross-border cooperation and public life. The congress will be the moment to meet in person, present projects, discuss creative tourism and interpretation, and show that our route can organise strong European-level encounters. You can already find information on our website: FORTE CULTURA Congress 2026 – La Línea de la Concepción.

If you are wondering where to start, a good entry point is our last Online Member Meeting 2025, now available online with a full summary. There you will find our EICR strategy, examples of member projects and tools for communication and tourism that you can reuse locally. I invite you not only to watch it, but to choose one or two ideas that you can actually implement in your fortress, your town or your organisation this year: Réunion en ligne des membres de FORTE CULTURA 2025.

For my season’s greetings I chose a line by John Donne: “No man is an island.” I think the same is true for our heritage. A fortress alone is a strong object; a network of fortresses that talk to each other, learn from each other and act together becomes a much more powerful message for Europe.

My wish for 2026 is that each member feels a little more part of this shared story, from bastions to bunkers, and that FORTE CULTURA can give something concrete back to your daily work: visibility, ideas, partners and a stronger European framework.

I wish you a year of good projects, new encounters and quiet moments to enjoy your fortresses in all seasons. And I look forward to working with you on the next chapter of FORTE CULTURA.

Filippo Cailotto
President, FORTE CULTURA e.V.