Routes of the Emperor Charles V receive the mention of European Cultural Route from the Council of Europe

Cooperation Network of European Routes of Emperor Charles V has received the Certificate of European Cultural Route from the Council of Europe. This mention has been delivered at the Royal Monastery of Yuste in an institutional event attended by various personalities.

The ceremony began at 5 p.m. with a reception by the court of Emperor Charles V and a concert of Renaissance music played by the string quartet Muérdago Antiqua.
The following authorities came after the court to begin the mentioning act: the Head of the Government of Extremadura, Guillermo Fernández Vara; President of the Assembly of Extremadura, Blanca Martín Delgado; Mayor of Cuacos de Yuste, José María Hernández García; President of the Cooperation Network of European Routes of Emperor Charles V, Jose Antonio Rodriguez; President of the Council of Cáceres, María Rosario Cordero Martín; Executive President of the European Cultural Routes Program, Penélope Denu; CEO of Tourism, Francisco Martín Simón; Managing Director of Foreign Affairs, Rosa Balas Torres; Pilar Barraca, Technical Adviser for the Analysis Unit of the CoE Cultural Routes of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, Culture and Sports; CEO of National Heritage, Ignacio Muñoz Llinás, and invited authorities.

The presentation of the official ceremony came after a greeting from His Excellency the Bishop of Plasencia. and Reverend Mr. Amadeo Rodríguez Magro, and also from the Pauline Community of the Monastery,

The Manager of the Cooperation Network of European Routes of Emperor Charles V, Quintín Correas, conducted the ceremony in which it was exposed an explanatory documentary about the Cooperation Network.

Pilar Barraca, Technical adviser for the Analysis Unit of the CoE Cultural Routes of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports. She stressed the importance of European relationships thanks to the emperor Charles V as an important element of social and cultural cohesion.

José Antonio Rodríguez, made his first speech as President of the Cooperation Network of European Routes of Emperor Charles V. He provided information about the objectives for his legislature. Between these objectives we could find “to increase the preservation and promotion of Cultural Heritage, to promote cultural exchanges with special attention to young people, to work on the creation of tourism sustainability products to improve the life quality, and foster the understanding and cohesion among European citizens”.

Penelope Denu, Director of the European Institute of Cultural Routes and Executive Secretary of the Council of Europe Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes, said that the organization wants the routes and activities developed democratically. History should not be static but a living element, which is why youth is a key element, in her words "the youth of today is tomorrow's society". Tourism is the tool for tourism, but this was already discovered by the Emperor Charles V, and now it is entrenched thanks to this mention.

The President of Extremadura, Guillermo Fernández Vara, received the Certificate of European Cultural Route from the Council of Europe at the hands of Penelope Denu on behalf of all the people from Extremadura. At the same time, he gave it to the president of the Network of European Routes of Emperor Charles V, Jose Antonio Rodriguez.

Guillermo Fernández Vara praised the importance of the region because Extremadura was the final destination of Charles V’s journey. Therefore, it is a "route that is much more than a tourist destination, it is an exchange and enrichment for citizens who can create links between the different countries” in the words of the president.

In 2013 the Cooperation Network presented the draft-report to the European Institute of Cultural Routes, based in Luxembourg, to qualify for the mention. The official definition of the European Cultura Route from the Council of Europe, is a cooperative project aimed to develop and promote one or more touristic routes based on the Cultural Heritage. It must have transnational importance and meaning for understanding and respect for common values in Europe.

Cooperation Network Route of Charles V will hold this certificate for three years. The meaning of the mention is the European recognition of its career. Its President confirms that they will apply to the mention again in the years to come.

The event was finished with the interpretation of the solemn song Tedeum by the jaraiceña coral in collaboration with the Pauline Monastic Community. Tedeum is the first word of this Ambrosian song. This was the song with which the Emperor Charles V was received, at the Royal Monastery of Yuste, on the 3rd of February, 1557. This final performance ended the celebration for obtaining the Mention of European Cultural Route from the Council of Europe to the Cooperation Network of European Routes of Emperor Charles V.