The European University Centre for Cultural Heritage was established on 10th February 1983, upon the initiative of the Italian Parliamentary Delegation to the Council of Europe, under the auspices of the Secretary General of the Council and of the Italian Government and with the support of distinguished representatives of the European scientific world belonging to the P.A.C.T. group.
It is an association whose members are Institutional Bodies, cultural centres and training organizations, and is located in the prestigious Villa Rufolo of Ravello, one of the jewels of the spectacular Amalfi Coast, surrounded by a breathtaking wealth of cultural heritage. It has been legally recognized through a decree of the President of the Italian Republic, and co-operates with UNESCO, ICCROM, the European Commission, the Council of Europe and other prestigious international organizations, for which it plays a unique role as a centre for excellence for the scientific and professional specialization of graduates in the field of cultural heritage.
When the Centre was founded by the Council of Europe and by EE.LL. of Campania (1983), within the international scientific community, it was deep the need to overcome the approach of the academic education of that time, which was strictly segmented in branches of knowledge. In this way, the pluri-interdisciplinary approach was immediately the distinctive nature of the activities of the Centre, summarized in the “Esprit de Ravello”. The Centre became, therefore, a preferential place of scientific debate among researchers of humanistic mold (archaeologists, historians, philologists, academics) and those of “strong” sciences (volcanologists, seismologists, chemists). Both groups busy in integrating respective researches in preservation of cultural heritage.
During years, anyway, to the activity of scientific foyer has been added – always with more relevance – an education and research activity oriented to supply a “service” to decision makers and to institutions, transferring to society the acquisition of knowledge arose by the scientific debate, offering in this way instruments of knowledge and supporting methodologies about “cultural policies” to decision makers and authorities.
The mission of the Centre is therefore:
- Offering a reference, lively and advanced structure to all academics and operators interested in culture promotion.
- Promoting knowledge, management and fruition of cultural heritage through an interdisciplinary approach.
- Realizing research and education activities useful to supply scientific, methodological and operative support of high level to decision makers responsible of heritage and cultural activities.
- Cooperating with Universities, integrating the offer to answer to the demand of interdisciplinary education, nowadays very deep, since universities, that by nature are specialized, are not able to fulfill.