FORTE CULTURA has taken another important step towards certification as a Itinerario culturale del Consiglio d'Europa.

On 25 September, during the 15th Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes in Yerevan, FORTE CULTURA officially presented its candidature before representatives of the member States of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes (EPA) and representatives of the already certified Cultural Routes.

The Forum focused on education for sustainable heritage, with particular attention to heritage education, inclusion and accessibility, learning through travel, the transmission of European values and, above all, the involvement of new generations in understanding, protecting and reinterpreting Europe’s cultural heritage.

Our presentation highlighted the distinctive identity of FORTE CULTURA: the evolution of European fortified heritage dai bastioni ai bunker, its transformation from places of defence into places of culture and peace, and our cluster strategy as a way of connecting sites, territories and communities into a coherent European route.

The experience in Yerevan was very positive. We received encouraging comments on the development of our network, and several new contacts were initiated that may contribute to expanding FORTE CULTURA and strengthening cooperation with European partners.

At the same time, the formal evaluation process is now progressing. Contact has already been established with the independent expert appointed by the Council of Europe, and preparations for the next stages of the assessment are under way.

Our next network appointment will be the FORTE CULTURA Malta Symposium, 14–17 October 2026, which will also be accessible online as a hybrid event. More information and programme.

This is therefore an encouraging moment, but also a phase in which the involvement of the whole network is particularly important.

We invite all FORTE CULTURA members to stay connected, share their activities and the initiatives of the network, communicate FORTE CULTURA through their own channels and participate actively in our common projects. The evaluation must show not only that we have a strong European concept, but that behind it there is a living, active and cohesive community.

With the commitment of all of us, we can approach the next stages of this demanding process with confidence.

Fortresses for culture and peace — together.