Press Release

Bruges-Venice Treaty of Rome ´ Commemoration Exhibition

Opens at Europe House in Dublin

To mark Europe Day on 9 May, 2018

On Public Display:10 May to 31 May 2018

(Admission Free)

Venue:European Commission Representation in Ireland
Europe House
12-14 Lower Mount Street
Dublin 2

 The *Bruges-*Venice Treaty of Rome Commemoration Exhibitionwas commissioned by the Paul Hankar Institute of Brussels and supported by the City of Brussels and others to commemorate the 60th. anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1957. It was launched last December in Cork–the Venice of the South. 2018 marks the 60th. anniversary of the Treaty coming into force

It forms part of the Irish in Europe Association (IEAI*) Cultural Exchange Programme between Ireland and Europe. The Treaty of Rome, officially the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (TEEC), is an international agreement that brought about the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC), the best known of the European Communities (EC). It was signed on 25 March 1957 by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany and came into force on 1 January 1958. It remains one of the two most important treaties in the modern-day European Union (EU).

In addition to commemorating coming into force of the Treaty of Rome, another objective of this exhibition is to grow relations between Ireland and Belgium and Italy.  It is a cultural fusion exhibition to recognise Italy and Belgium as founder members of the European Economic Community.  It also symbolises how trade crosses borders and the importance of the present day Single European Market and the value of Inter-State Trade that benefits all regions of the European Union. Brexit now challenges Ireland to engage even more in Europe and in particular to grow new markets for its many products and services.

The exhibition itself consists of an introductory narrative of Bruges (in Flanders) and Venice with colourful photos of both cities.    Our special thanks go to Madame Claude Pourbaix, Director of the Paul Hankar Institute, to Monsieur Luc Teper Producer of the  Exhibition and all the staff and students who helped to bring this exhibition to fruition. Also special thanks to Mr. Ken Buckley of the Irish in Europe in Association and of THE GALLERY Kinsale for co-ordinating the tour of the exhibition and a Big Thank you to the Irish in Europe Volunteers in Brussels.

This is the first time that the Irish in Europe Association have brought an exhibition to Dublin. It will help Dublin residents connect more with Italy and Belgium. It will also help bring together Italian and Belgian Communities in the Irish capital. It is also the first time that a city in Flanders has been featured in an exhibition. The Irish in Europe have already started its cultural exchange programme in Italy at Trieste with its music tribute to Dublin born James Joyce with a specially commissioned concert & cd  ´Music of Bloom´ that commemorates James Joyce´s Cork and Fermoy roots and the influence of Cork on his many literary works.

2018 is also EuropeanYear of Cultural Heritage. It is fitting that Bruges & Venice as some of the best preserved and most beautiful medieval cities in all of Europe are the cities featured in this exhibition. These cities are also an example of Europe´s rich cultural heritage. Cultural heritage is at the heart of the European way of life. It defines who we are and creates a sense of belonging. It allows us to understand the past and to build our future. The Irish in Europe strives to promote culture heritage as a key component in growing relationships and integration in Europe.  The 2018 Irish in Europe Year Theme  is ´´Ireland´s Cultural Heritage is Europe´s  Heritage ´´.

*Bruges (/ˈbruːʒ/; Dutch: Brugge [ˈbrʏɣə]; French: Bruges [bʁyːʒ]) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country. The area of the whole city amounts to more than 13,840 hectares, including 1,075 hectares off the coast, at Zeebrugge (from Brugge aan zee meaning “Bruges by the Sea”). The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. It is oval and about 430 hectares in size. The city’s total population is 117,073 (1 January 2008),[4]of whom around 20,000 live in the city centre. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of 616 km2 (238 sq mi) and has a total of 255,844 inhabitants as of 1 January 2008. Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, such as Amsterdam, it is sometimes referred to as The Venice of the North. Bruges has a significant economic importance thanks to its port and was once one of the world’s chief commercial cities. Bruges is well known as the seat of the College of Europe, an elite university institute for European studies regarded as “the EU‘s very own Oxbridge.”

* Venice (/ˈvɛnɪs/ VEN-iss; Italian: Venezia, [veˈnɛttsja] (Venetian: Venesia, [veˈnɛsja]) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is situated across a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by bridges, of which there are 400.The islands are located in the shallow Venetian Lagoon, an enclosed bay that lies between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers. Parts of Venice are renowned for the beauty of their settings, their   architecture, and artwork. The lagoon and a part of the city are listed as a World Heritage Site.

In 2014, 264,579 people resided in Comune di Venezia, of whom around 55,000 live in the historic city of Venice (Centro storico). Together with Padua and Treviso. The city is included in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area (PATREVE), with a total population of 2.6 million. PATREVE is a statistical metropolitan area without any degree of autonomy.

The name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who inhabited the region by the 10th century BC. [The city was historically the capital of the Republic of Venice. Venice has been known as the “La Dominante,” “Serenissima,” “Queen of the Adriatic,” “City of Water,” “City of Masks,” “City of Bridges,” “The Floating City,” and “City of Canals.”

* The IEAI was established in Belgium with its European HQ in Brussels and its Irish office at The Gallery Kinsale, 57 Main Street, Kinsale. It incorporates the organisational Committee of the Brussels Saint Patrick’s Day Parade of the Nations & Regions that celebrated its 10nth anniversary in 2018. Each year we nominate a partner region in Ireland to promote. This year Waterford was selected.

The main function of the Irish in Europe Association is to support Irish Emigrants, connect and engage with the world wide Irish Diaspora living and working in Europe and promote Irish culture, community building, micro integration and interstate trade through a network of Chapters in Europe. Each Chapter as it is established in Europe will build community relations with the local social, cultural and municipal bodies in their area to create an Irish cultural footprint.

The IEAI “Help Ireland in Europe” programme assists in the promotion of Irish goods and services and interstate trade in co-operation with other nationalities in Europe.  It has spearheaded a cultural exchange programme between Ireland and Europe that mainly includes exchange of exhibitions with local communities in our partner regions in Ireland. The objective of these exhibitions is to increase the Irish cultural footprint in Europe and encourage greater engagement of Ireland in Europe. Over one million persons have viewed Irish in Europe Exhibitions.

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