30 Archaeological Sites in Greece to be Connected by ‘Culture Avenues’ Program
Greece’s Ministry of Culture has partnered with the Diazoma Association to launch the “Culture Avenues” program, which seeks to connect 30 significant archaeological sites through three major road networks throughout the country.
The program, worth 30 million euros, is expected to be financed by the Recovery and Resilience Fund, and will be implemented with the aid of the Management Directorate of the Ministry’s National Archives of Monuments, scheduled for completion by 2025.
The objective of the “Culture Avenues” program is to enhance cultural tourism in Greece and promote the sustainable development of local communities by making these significant cultural sites more accessible to visitors.
The program employs modern digital technology to provide all the necessary information on each cultural path, archaeological site, and monument in a user-friendly manner, and it is the first of its kind on this scale.
According to Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, the “Culture Avenues” program is part of a comprehensive approach to safeguarding Greece’s cultural heritage, with the goal of promoting the country’s cultural wealth and bolstering cultural tourism. Moreover, the program intends to contribute to the economies along the cultural routes, resulting in local and regional growth.
The Diazoma Association’s President, Stavros Benos, stated that the program aims to introduce a new philosophy for Greece’s development programs, “by using the synergies of the highways as catalysts for accessibility and promoting and preserving historically and culturally significant monuments around them.”
The program encompasses the upgrading of road connections in various areas, including the central road axes of Moreas, Olympia Odos, Ionia Odos, and will be executed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. A digital platform will also be established to enhance the presentation, visibility, and physical and digital accessibility of the spaces included in the program.
The “Culture Avenues” program also envisages the creation of an online platform and a mobile application displaying not just the monuments and points of the route, but also the local products of the specific areas. The platform will function as a shared repository of information about local agri-food, with free access for local producers and users.
The program is expected to offer various services, including a route view, individual monument points, interactive maps, concise but comprehensive information on all points of interest on the route, visitor transportation services, and an open shelf of local products. Furthermore, it will feature a calendar of events, including cultural events and important dates related to the route.
The “Culture Avenues” program aims to transform highways beyond their primary mission of transportation and into avenues of culture and ideas.