Alhambra Palace - Granada
Alhambra Palace - Granada

The Second World War claimed more lives than any other war in history and obliterated a great deal of cultural property that defined the communities in which they were erected. This included many historic cities of Europe.

In its aftermath, the world needed a technical institution dedicated to preserving, protecting and restoring what humanity had destroyed. In response, UNESCO created ICCROM and chose Rome as its headquarters. As home to ICCROM and as a beneficiary of its earliest efforts, Europe is a region with which the organization has always had close ties, and which has also had an important role to play in the conservation sector.

Sixty years later, humanity is faced yet again with large-scale and catastrophic developments – mass displacement of people, entrenched conflict, harshening climate. All are challenging cultural heritage preservation. Europe is again in a positon to both benefit from and serve ICCROM’s efforts. This is not only because these demographic, political and climatic forces are playing out within or near its borders, but also because Europe is able – and therefore responsible – to play a more universal role in enacting change.

ICCROM is eager to engage with a Europe that leverages everything from its resources, to experience and diplomatic know-how to model inclusive and engaged societies. Europe can take the lead in truly integrating refugees who come in search of safety, embracing the cultures they bring and incorporating them into Europe’s own. Europe can show how caring for culture is caring for people as heritage congregates and generates cohesion, understanding and even economic opportunity. And when Europe extends this work beyond its borders, it can demonstrate how the returns on cultural diplomacy are more stable, inclusive and just nations – indeed, a better world.

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Interpares meeting

InterPARES Trust Transnational Team Meeting

ICCROM is hosting a meeting of the InterPARES Trust (ITrust) Transnational Team. The meeting gathers experts in archival science, records management, diplomatics, information technology and digital forensics working in international organizations, as well as members of ITrust Team Europe, and archivists from other international organizations based in Rome and Florence.

PCA

Promoting People-Centred Approaches

ICCROM is pleased to announce the commencement of its first course on Promoting People-Centred Approaches: Engaging Communities in the Conservation of Nature and Culture (PCA15).

Nieves-Valentin

ICCROM Council Member wins prestigious conservation award

Nieves Valentin, an ICCROM council member since 2013, has been awarded the Spanish National Prize for Restoration and Conservation of Cultural Heritage 2015, granted by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport.

Stone course closure

Stone Course 2015 closure

On Thursday 2 July, twenty mid-career professionals completed their training at the joint ICCROM-Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) course focusing on theoretical and practical aspects of stone conservation. The Stone Course participants spent approximately 720 hours learning about stone characterization, consolidation, conservation, structural repair, graffiti removal and non-destructive...

2nd re-org

2nd RE-ORG Canada (Atlantic) launches

Following a 2011 resolution adopted by ICCROM Member States on the reorganization of museum storage, in 2013 ICCROM launched a large-scale call for partners to implement RE-ORG projects worldwide. More than 40 Member States showed interested in the initiative.

Re org belgium

RE-ORG Belgium Launches

Following a 2011 resolution adopted by ICCROM Member States on the reorganization of museum storage, in 2013 ICCROM launched a large-scale call for partners to implement RE-ORG projects worldwide. More than 40 Member States showed interested in the initiative, including the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) in Brussels, Belgium. Now, in collaboration with the Flemish interface...

L.Mora restoring Canaletto

Laura Mora (1923 – 2015)

Laura Sbordoni Mora, famed paintings and mural paintings conservator, has died in Rome. She was 92 years old. A frequent collaborator and permanent consultant of ICCROM, she was a chief restorer at the Italian Istituto Centrale del Restauro (ICR), active in restoration over a period of more than 50 years, and was also my mentor, colleague and friend.

Stone group

Participant Voices: insights and impressions of the Stone Course

As we move into the seventh week of the International Course on Stone Conservation, participants are spending more time together, extending their knowledge and strengthening new friendships. They are currently travelling through Italy, visiting the World Heritage sites of Florence, Pisa, Parma and Venice. They have studied traditional carving techniques at a sculpture studio in Carrara and visited...

First aid

Protecting heritage amidst an unfolding crisis

A group of 20 cultural heritage professionals – archaeologists, archivists, and architects – arrived on the scene to assess the damage to a World Heritage Site. Tensions between the two countries that border the site had escalated into a violent protest and a bomb blast had gone off directly next to the historic structure. Artifacts of all kinds were scattered under rubble and ash.

Course on Stone Conservation

Course on Stone Conservation begins in Rome

For the nineteenth time since 1976 a group of mid-career professionals from 20 different countries are gathering for the International Course on Stone Conservation co-organized by ICCROM in partnership with the Getty Conservation Institute. The Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome will be hosting the field activities throughout the course and YoCoCu will provide assistance during lab exercises.