Five Italian projects awarded at the 2026 European Heritage Awards

Five Italian projects awarded at the 2026 European Heritage Awards

28 April 2026 — Five Italian projects were selected from more than 260 submissions from 18 countries and received recognition at the 2026 European Heritage Awards. The awards highlight how heritage protection in Italy increasingly involves social regeneration, skills transfer and the development of open cultural spaces.

• Complesso Monastico Polironiano (San Benedetto Po, Mantua): honored for restoration and adaptive reuse after earthquake damage, returning a cultural hub open to events and civic initiatives.
• DumBO (Bologna): a large-scale urban regeneration example converting a former rail yard into a multifunctional district that preserves industrial identity while hosting cultural and creative activities.
• Archivio Storico Nazionale dei Restauratori Italiani (RES.I): recognized in the research category for creating a database that gathers private archives, documents and photographs to support knowledge transfer in restoration.
• HIMASS (International Summer School): praised for an educational approach combining engineering, architectural archetypes and traditional techniques in the conservation of masonry buildings.
• Intorno a Minerva (Breno, Brescia): awarded for strong community engagement and activities that connect refugees, students and residents around an archaeological park.

These recognitions increase the international visibility of effective local practices and may encourage the replication of participatory conservation and sustainable reuse models across Italy. Initiatives like RES.I and HIMASS also emphasize the role of digital and educational infrastructures for more informed future interventions.