La Red de Cooperación de las Rutas del Emperador Carlos V es un Itinerario Cultural del Consejo de Europa, constituido por más de 80 municipios y entidades de 11 países de Europa, Norte de África y América. Approach: The European vision of Emperor Charles V and its relevance in today's social, political and cultural Europe. The main objective: Cultural and tourist cooperation in the cities, regions and countries that were united during Charles V's reign and which still are today thanks to the development of pro-European measures and the Institutions of the European Union. This project of Cultural Route of Council of Europe is based on a historical figure that is representative of European values, common to several European countries which were part (partially or entirely according to their current frontiers) of the great pan-European state ruled by Charles V in the sixteenth century: Spain, the
Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, Italy, Slovenia, Poland (north-western region), Malta and France (Franche-Comté, Charolais), in addition to being consort of the princess of Portugal and
Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, influencing other current countries such as Switzerland or Czech Republic. He also ruled over several North African Spanish domains (Melilla), Algiers and Tunis. The project is already founded on a well-developed institutional administration and on a group of experts who study and research the itinerary. The route will comprise many regions of a rural nature and, occasionally, with a precarious traditional economy. Their cultural and natural heritage, based on traditional cultural landscapes, could make the most of the itinerary's sustainable development measures, improving each region's satisfaction and encouraging its preservation by raising awareness of its value for the present and future. The traditional (sea and land) routes used personally by the Emperor are considered to have played an essential role in the configuration of the great cultural landscape of Early Modern Europe (the project's key idea). With this, the interest of the itinerary is not only reduced to History and Art, but will also include the environment, its traditional landscape or architecture, etc., becoming a very powerful tool for environmental education. The objectives pursued by this candidature project for the Cultural Route of the Council of Europe certification, are the following:
- To consolidate a wide Cooperation Network to develop a cultural and tourist offer based on sixteenth century European heritage and on the person of Emperor Charles V.
- To develop a research programme about the history, art and culture in the time of Emperor Charles V, in order to facilitate the development of joint cultural, recreational, social, educational and tourist activities.
- To promote the conservation and dissemination of European Renaissance Cultural Heritage, encouraging joint actions for its management, restoration and social development.
- To promote cultural and educational exchanges, with particular emphasis on contacts between young people of different regions and countries. Create exchange programs and cultural activities of student groups.
- To stimulate the development and circulation of actions enabling the encouragement and widespread social awareness of contemporary cultural and artistic activities among members of the Cooperation Network applying for the certification of European Cultural Route, and exchanges of this kind with other
networks, especially Council of Europe Cultural Routes.
- To work positively on the creation of sustainable tourist products aimed at improving the quality of life of the population, creating employment, de-seasonalising tourism, improving the state of conservation of heritage by giving it specific uses in accordance with its characteristics, and ultimately, exploring the
possibilities of the participant towns and regions to create a quality tourist and cultural offer. In connection with this, it is aimed to create high-quality distinctive features to facilitate the recognition of benchmark cultural and tourist destinations.
- To promote understanding and cohesion among the people of Europe, emphasising those aspects that can help to overcome religious, social and political conflicts occurring in the eventful history of Europe in the Modern Age. To work on aspects that united European society in the Renaissance (art, culture, classical view of Europe) in contrast with the religious intransigence and territorial wars at the time.
