SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, September 16 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Group of World Heritage Cities of Spain (GCPHE) celebrated this Saturday in Ávila the 30th anniversary of its creation, with an institutional event that began with the discovery of the commemorative plaque in the Palacio de los Verdugo, headquarters of the Group . Next, after the photo of mayors in front of the monumental Wall of Ávila, an extraordinary assembly was held, chaired by the mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, and with the mayor of Ávila, Jesús Manuel Sánchez Cabrera, as host , in which the manifesto that marks the roadmap for the joint work that the Group will develop in the coming years has been approved.
Luis Yeray Gutiérrez recalled that the GCPHE was established in Ávila in September 1993 “with the objective of joining forces for joint action in defense and promotion of historical and cultural heritage. Thirty years later, the founding spirit that inspired the birth of the Group “It is the same one that continues to encourage the policies of the 15 Heritage Cities. Today we renew our commitment to the protection of the heritage legacy and reiterate the will to promote joint projects, exchanging experiences and facing common problems, while respecting the uniqueness of each city.” .
The mayor of Ávila, Jesús Manuel Sánchez Cabrera, has indicated that the city is proud to be the headquarters of the Group and to mark a milestone again today with the signing of this historic manifesto by which the Group commits “to redouble its efforts in the face of the challenges of the future.
Among the commitments detailed in the manifesto include “reinforcing dialogue with other administrations to strengthen the recognition of the unique characteristics of our cities; involving citizens, social agents and private entities in the shared responsibility of heritage protection; and involve especially the younger generations in the value of our heritage legacy, to thus guarantee the continuity of the principles that define the Group”, explained Luis Yeray Gutiérrez in the press conference after the Assembly.
Other commitments are to “encourage the implementation of tourist and cultural promotion and marketing actions; advance the concept of ‘smart cities’, which responds to the demands of today’s society; and insist on the architectural revitalization of our historic centers. Furthermore, we want to promote the international dimension of the Group, through cooperation agreements with entities that bring together cities from other countries included in the UNESCO List,” indicated the mayor of La Laguna.
Among the achievements of this 30th anniversary and the challenges, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez has stressed that “society has accompanied us in these three decades and today citizens are much more aware of the value, not only economic but also social, of conservation of heritage. The Group faces new challenges, such as the gentrification of historic centers, tourist overcrowding or the difficulties in guaranteeing full accessibility of buildings and monuments, among others, which force us to continue reinventing ourselves in order to promote sustainability of our destinations and also guarantee the integrity of our legacy.
The Assembly has had a special memory for the former mayors who were part of the Group and who have died: Andrés Ocaña (former mayor of Córdoba), Ramón Escobar (former mayor of Segovia and founder of the Group), and Virginia Marí (who was mayor of Ibiza and died this same year). The president has also given the mayor of Alcalá de Henares, Judith Piqué, her insignia that accredits her as a representative of this Group.
HERITAGE AWARD 2024
Likewise, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez has communicated that the Assembly “wanted to express our solidarity with two cities of enormous heritage value, recognized by UNESCO, which for different reasons have suffered serious damage to their monumental complexes. These are Odessa, in Ukraine, which is suffering the blows of war and we cannot forget that war conflicts continue to be one of the greatest threats to heritage. On the other hand, Marrakech, a few days ago, was seriously damaged by an earthquake that has caused thousands of victims “.
After highlighting that “in the face of catastrophes of this nature, of course the priority is the life and health of people, but it is also important to ensure the protection of a heritage that has been preserved for centuries and that has universal value” , Luis Yeray Gutiérrez has announced that the Assembly has approved granting the prestigious 2024 Heritage Award to the city of Marrakech: “This award is a way to express our solidarity and our support not only for an extraordinary city, but for the entire Moroccan people” , stated the president.
