The Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza and the Bosco delle Querce Regional Nature Park in the municipality of Seveso (province of Monza and Brianza) are the two Italian sites pre-selected for candidacy for the European Heritage Label as part of the 2025 selection. The Ministry of Culture evaluated the 11 nominations received on the basis of European relevance, design quality and operational-management capacity.

In particular, the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza was evaluated by the Commission as a “Site that excels in a specifically European field and manifests its historical continuity. Prominent in the submitted project are digitization initiatives aimed at improving European visibility and educational activities. Notable is the focus on accessibility, the environment and sustainable tourism.”

Regarding the Bosco delle Querce Regional Nature Park for the Commission, “The site is particularly well suited to promote European values, being a successful example of territorial recovery after the environmental disaster, which also gave name to the European Directive ”Seveso.” The project also leverages environmental education in view of the anniversary in 2026 of the 50th anniversary of the accident.”

The two nominations will be submitted to the European Commission by March 1, 2025 for consideration by the European panel of experts, which may award recognition to only one of the two pre-selected sites.

The European Heritage Label is an EU recognition aimed at enhancing the common cultural heritage, through which the sense of belonging to the European Union can be strengthened. The action managed by the European Commission also aims to highlight those sites that have played a significant role in the history, culture and development of the European Union, as well as to emphasize their European dimension through information and educational activities.

To date, the Italian sites awarded the European Heritage Label are: Casa De Gasperi Museum (Mark in the 2014 selection); the Archaeological Area of Ancient Ostia (Mark in the 2019 selection); Forte Cadine (Mark in the 2017 selection); the municipality of Ventotene (Mark in the 2021 selection); and the National Peace Park in the municipality of Sant'Anna di Stazzema (Mark in the 2023 selection).