EU Commission Recognises Slovak Medieval Murals
“Cultural heritage is Europe’s soul. The European Heritage Label sites are amongst the greatest gifts Europe has to offer,” the Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, said.
This award is granted to places that represent common European history and values, and 11 other places in Europe have obtained such awards, including Belgium and Italy, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
In addition, the wall paintings were created in the 14th century and are influenced by Italian art, as the Monuments Board wrote on its website.
“With their intactness and concentration in a small area, the murals, which were created under the proven influence of Italian art, represent an exceptional artistic phenomenon in the European context,” the website further explains.
The century-old murals are part of three different circuits in the two regions starting with the Rimava Circuit, including four Lutheran churches in Rimavska Bana, Rimavske Brezovo, Kyjatice and Kraskovo. Another four churches are located in the Stitnik Circuit, across Stitnik, Plesives, Ochtina and Kocelovce villages.
Moreover, the European Heritage Label has been awarded to the following sites:
- Migratie Museum Migration (MMM) (Belgium)
- Thracian Art in Eastern Rhodopes: Aleksandrovo Tomb (Bulgaria)
- Vu?edol Culture Museum and Archaeological Site (Croatia)
- The Oderbruch (Germany)
- Archaeological Site of Nemea (Greece)
- Almadén Mining Park (Spain)
- Seminaarinmäki Campus – Equality in Education (Finland)
- Ventotene (Italy)
- Echternach Saint Willibrord Heritage (Luxembourg)
- Historical Centre of Turaida (Latvia)
- Palace of the European Commission of the Danube (Romania)
According to Statista, the number of monthly arrivals in tourist accommodation in Slovakia reached 186,600 in April of 2020 after no travelling activity was evident for several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, this number stood at 433,550 in the previous year, 57 per cent more than in 2020; despite this period being attractive for tourism due to the Easter holiday, the impact the COVID-19 had on tourism is quite evident.
The highest rates of tourism during this period were recorded in the summer season, in August more specifically, which peaked at 764,130, while in the previous year, such a figure stood at 653,630.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reveals that the number of positive cases in Slovakia is 2,169, while death reports in the last week stand at 57.
