Two Greek winners in the conservation section were among the recipients of the prestigious Europa Nostra Awards, Europe’s highest honor in the field of culture and heritage. The Byzantine church of Aghios Petros (St Peter) in the village of Kastania, in Mani, and the traditional watermill in the village of Aghios Germanos, in Prespes, were two of the 28 winners from 16 countries recognized for their exemplary achievements in the sectors of conservation, research, dedicated service and education training and awareness raising.

The winners, announced on pril 7, are to be celebrated during a high-profile ceremony at the historic Zarzuela Theater on May 24, during the European Heritage Congress in Madrid that runs from May 23 to 27.

The event will include entertainment by opera singer Placido Domingo, who is president of Europa Nostra, a citizen’s movement that safeguards Europe’s culture and heritage.

During the ceremony, all projects – shortlisted from a total of 187 applications from 36 countries – will be celebrated. However, the winners will be put to the test with an online vote for the Public Choice Award, the winner of which will be announced during the ceremony.

The two Greek entries are:

Byzantine Church of Saint Peter (Aghios Petros) in Kastania, Mani

The church is the oldest of ten Byzantine monuments in the village of Kastania. The late 12th-century church was in a poor state before work began and faced serious structural programs due to weathering, inherent weaknesses and inappropriate past interventions. The Byzantine frescoes had suffered greatly over the church’s 800-year life span. The jury noted that the state and private bodies collaborated in the renovation and was committed in completing the work to the best possible standard.

Traditional Watermill of Aghios Germanos, Prespes

One of 20 watermills in the region of Prespes, the mill of Aghios Germanos is the only one that has been fully restored. The mill, in the mountainous region of the Prespa National Park, was initially constructed in 1930. Now in full working order, it has three different mechanisms to grind flour, clean fabrics and textile finishing. The ambitious project wanted to create a “living monument” of the region’s industrial heritage. The jury commended the “high educational and social engagement which contributed to the sustainable economic and environmental development in the village and in the region on a wider scale.”