The European project Cultur-Monts, led by ICAC-CERCA with a consortium of ten beneficiary partners from Spain, France, and Portugal, has been approved in the 1st call of the Interreg VI-B Sudoe program (2021-27).
The Cultur-Monts project, entitled “Valorización de los paisajes culturales de montaña: un recurso de desarrollo territorial sostenible” has been ranked first in specific objective 4.6, aimed at enhancing the role of culture and sustainable tourism in the economic development, social inclusion, and social innovation of rural territories in southwestern Europe.
The project has a total budget of €1,689,340 and will be implemented over the next 3 years (2024-2026).
The Cultur-Monts consortium faces the challenge of developing and testing common methodologies for the valorization of mountain cultural landscapes as a development resource, empowering territories, and contributing to transforming local communities through knowledge transfer.
It is a powerful network of academic and scientific institutions working in tandem with local public administrations (municipalities), natural parks, or territorial development entities to ensure the social impact of landscape archaeology research.
Several pilot windows will be opened: in the Massif du Sancy and in the Livradois-Forez Regional Natural Park (Auvergne, France), in Lozère (Occitania), in the Natural Park of the Ter and Freser Headwaters (Ripollès, Catalonia), and in Meranges and Lles (La Cerdanya, Catalonia), in the mountains of Babia (León, Cantabrian Mountains), in Belmonte de Miranda (Principality of Asturias, Cantabrian Mountains), and the Peneda-Gêres National Park (Norte, Portugal).
A consortium comprised of ten beneficiary partners
The beneficiaries of the project are diverse entities linked to research and heritage management:
- Institut Català d’’Arqueologia Clàssica, ICAC-CERCA
- CSIC – Instituto de Ciencias del Patrimonio
- Departamento de Historia de la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Oviedo
- Ajuntament de Ripoll
- Asociación gestora de la Reserva de la Biosfera de Babia
- Universidade do Minho – Instituto de Ciências Sociais – Laboratório de Paisagens, Património e Território
- Associação de desenvolvimento das regiões do Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês
- Institut d’Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes du Développement des Territoires, IADT
- Université Clermont Auvergne – Maison des Sciences de l’Homme
- Mairie du Mont-Dore
The project also has a total of twenty-five partners: institutions and public entities that will actively participate in the project development and proposal design:
- Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC). Estació de muntanya Vall de Núria
- Parc Natural de les Capçaleres del Ter i del Freser
- Ajuntament de Meranges
- Ajuntament de Lles de Cerdanya
- Ajuntament de Queralbs
- Câmara Municipal de Terras de Bouro
- Município de Arcos de Valdevez
- Gerês Viver Turismo – Associação de Defesa e Promoção do Gerês
- Comunidade Intermunicipal do Alto Minho
- Ayuntamiento de Belmonte de Miranda
- La Ponte Ecomuséu
- Consejería de Cultura, Política Llingüística y Turismo. Principado de Asturias
- Ayuntamiento de San Emiliano
- Ayuntamiento de Cabrillanes
- Museo de los Pueblos Leoneses
- Fundación Uxío Novoneyra
- Departamento de Geografía, Prehistoria y Arqueología. Universidad del País Vasco
- Parc Régional des Volcans d’Auvergne
- Conseil départemental du Puy-de-Dôme
- Chaîne thermale du Soleil
- Parc Naturel régional Livradois-Forez
- La ligue de l’Enseignement, Fédération Départementale du Puy-de-Dôme
- Conseil Départemental de la Lozère
- Mairie de Besse
- Association pour le Pastoralisme de la Montagne Limousine (APML)
During March, the Interreg Sudoe Program will hold the official signing ceremony for the FEDER grant agreements. The main beneficiaries of the 34 projects approved in the first call will meet in Santander, the city hosting the Joint Secretariat of the program, to formalize the official start of the projects. At this event, ICAC-CERCA will participate as the main beneficiary of the Cultur-Monts consortium, representing all its members.
