Places of Peace
St francis by night
A Franciscan monastery built in the 13th century, in whose sacristy the Treaty of Zadar of 1358 was signed. The monastery is located in the historic center of the city of Zadar, Croatia, known locally as the “Peninsula”.
Park of the Historical Fountain, Kaynardzha
The Historical Fountain of Kaynardzha, located in this Bulgarian village near the Black Sea, was built by the villagers in the mid-19th century in memory of the Peace Treaty of Kaynardzha signed in 1774.
Paço dos Henriques, Alcáçovas
General view of the this Palace, recovered in 2016. Paço dos Henriques of Alcáçovas is the place where the Peace Treaty knowed as Treaty of Alcáçovas/Toledo was signed, ending the Succession War of Castilla (Spain) and and paved the way for the Iberian maritime expansion of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Convention House of Evoramonte
View of the introductory panel at the Interpretive Center of the Évora Monte Convention (Portugal), a peace treaty of 1834 that ended the only civil war in almost 900 years of Portuguese history and paved the way for liberalism in this country.
Convento de San Francisco, Historical Complex of Alcañices
Main entrance of the Convent of San Francisco in Alcañices (Spain) with the panel symbolizing the Treaty of Alcañices. The panel of the image symbolize the Treaty of Alcañices signed between the kingdoms of Portugal and Castilla/León in th 13th century, which defined the border between the two kingdoms, virtually unchanged to this day.
House of Peace, Vasvár
The House of Peace of Vasvár is the place that local tradition associates with the signing of the Treaty of Vasvár between the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires in 1664, and which today also functions as a community and exhibition center.
Trenčín Castle, Trenčín
Trenčín Castle, situated on a hill above the city of Trenčín, where the Treaty of Trenčín was signed, between the kingdoms of Bohemia and Poland in 1335.
The EHL Site
The transnational site Places of Peace consists of 7 partner sites in 6 EU Member States linked by the sign of the peace treaties, characterized by a great geographical, cultural and architectural diversity:
The Monastery of St. Francis (Croatia), one of the most important religious buildings in the historic center of the city of Zadar, on the Dalmatian Adriatic coast.
The Park of Historical Fountain of Kaynardzha (Bulgaria) located in the north-eastern Bulgaria includes the Historic Fountain from the late 19th century, a recently built Visitor’s Center, and an outdoor events area.
Paço dos Henriques (Portugal), located in the center of the village of Alcáçovas , is a 16th century palace restored in 2016 and is currently used as a tourist information center, public library, exhibition and cultural center.
The Convention House of Evoramonte (Portugal), located in the Historic Center of this village, is a very small rural house recently renovated and equipped with a modern Interpretive Center.
The Historical Complex of Alcañices (Spain) consists of several buildings of a religious, civil and military nature and was a Spanish Site of Cultural Interest since 2008;
The House of Peace of Vasvár (Hungary) located in Vasvár is the restored building where, according to local tradition, the Treaty of the same name was signed.
Trencin Castle (Slovakia) is the most visible architectural feature of the City of Trencin, located on a hill above the city and is classified as the National Cultural Monument.
European Dimension
The transnational site Places of Peace comprises seven partner sites in six EU Member States with a common Intangible Cultural Heritage, from Portugal to Spain, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and Bulgaria, thus ensuring a pan-European character, both through the different cultures it integrates and through the diversity of cultural and architectural aspects of the candidate sites;
The Intangible Cultural Heritage associated with it has played an important role in the History of Europe and has contributed decisively to the construction of Europe as we know it today, and to the creation of the system of democratic dialogue and cooperation that characterises the European Union today.
The transnational site and its partner sites, respecting the Intangible Heritage associated with them and drawing on their experience, are today active sites for promoting a Culture of Peace, defending the primacy of negotiation and dialogue in the prevention or resolution of conflicts, which are the most important common values on which European integration is based.
In addition to their historical importance, the partner sites are part of the identity of the European places where they are located, and today they are active sites for spreading a Culture of Peace and defending one of the most genuine and important European values – Peace as well as the other values enshrined in the “CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION”. The sites integrating the transnational site Places of Peace are open to the public and house interpretation centers, Interpretive Exhibitions, Public Libraries, Conference Rooms, Art Exhibitions and Tourist Information Offices, among others.
The Intangible Cultural Heritage associated with them – the Peace Treaties – had a significant impact on the political, economic and social development of Europe and on the creation of the system of democratic dialog and cooperation that characterizes Europe today.
The organization
The support legal organization of the transnational site Places of Peace is the European Network of Places of Peace (ENPP), an European network of places where peace treaties or capitulations were signed, represented by its public and private institutions. These places are aware of the historical often tragical events and commemorate them. With the mandate of a past of wars the members of ENPP work together to build a culture of peace and to promote those places based on its common historical and Intangible Heritage – PEACE. The mission of ENPP is:
- To promote cooperation between the cities and places in Europe where Peace Treaties and Conventions were signed, and with European Organizations and Institutions whose main purpose is to defend Peace;
- To promote mutual understanding, through exchanging joint experiences and initiatives with all the places where Peace Treaties and Conventions were signed;
- To promote and publicize the defence of a Culture of Peace, as the best means of ensuring a peaceful and harmonious environment among the peoples of Europe, for an Europe of Peace;
- To promote events and initiatives in defence of a policy for Peace, in cooperation with national, regional and local governments and with European institutions, namely the European Commission and Parliament;
- To promote contact and joint initiatives for the defence of Peace with other places and regions in the World, especially in those where war is a bloody reality;
- To promote Cultural Tourism for Peace, by integrating the places of Peace into the maps and programs for tourist development in every region and European country.
Following these principles, ENPP develops activities aimed at European recognition of the sites where Peace Treaties were signed, promoting Culture of Peace among young people (ERASMUS+) and obtaining certification of Places of Peace Route as Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.