Madrid, Spain, June 17, 2013 - One of the winning projects was the initiative to restore the Fuente de los Leones in the Alhambra.

Six Spanish projects are among the 30 winners that will receive the “Europa Nostra” cultural heritage awards today in Athens. These awards are granted by the European Commission (EC) to acknowledge the best initiatives in the fields of conservation, research, specialist service and education, according to Spanish news agency EFE.

A panel of judges made up of experts from all over Europe selected the 30 winning projects from among 200 entrants from 30 countries across Europe, revealing their decisions in March.

Seven projects received the Europa Nostra Grand Prix, including the restoration of the Roman theatre in Medellín, Badajoz. A further three award-winning Spanish projects in the conservation and restoration category were the Fuente de los Leones project in the Alhambra, in Granada, the "Romanesque North" project in Castilla y León, and the Abadía Retuerta LeDomain in Sardón de Duero (Valladolid).

These were joined by the projects “Granaries on stilts: the ancient art of building with nature” in Castropol (Asturias), in the research section, and “Living Cabanyal Archive”, in Valencia, in the area of education, training and awareness-raising.

This year’s awards mark the 50th anniversary of Europa Nostra, a “citizens’ movement” that strives to preserve Europe’s natural and cultural heritage. Speaking on this issue, Plácido Domingo stressed the special role of culture due to its role in job creation. “During critical times in Europe, culture creates jobs and helps countries to overcome the crisis”, he said.

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