The Renovation School (Šola prenove) programme is the recipient of the prestigious Europa Nostra Award 2026, one of Europe’s highest honours in the field of cultural heritage protection and preservation. This outstanding achievement will also be celebrated in Piran in September, where successful renovation projects in the historic town centre will be presented.
The main ceremony will take place on 17 September at 12 noon at the Georgios Pastoral and Cultural Centre in Piran. Those attending will be addressed by the Mayor of the Municipality of Piran, Andrej Korenika, Acting Director-General of the Directorate for Cultural Heritage at the Ministry of Culture, Viljem Leban, representatives of the Renovation School partners, and Elena Bianchi, Head of the European Heritage Awards programme. The programme will also include expert talks on the importance of renovating and preserving built heritage, a presentation of the development of the Renovation School from 2015 to the present day, and visits to some notable examples of renovation and heritage sites in Piran. Admission to the ceremony is free, but for organisational purposes participants are kindly asked to confirm their attendance by 14 September 2026 at info@zgodovinska-mesta.si.
Piran was not chosen as the venue for the ceremony by chance. The Municipality of Piran is one of the founding members of the Association of Historic Towns of Slovenia, which initiated the Renovation School, and it also boasts one of the best-preserved historic town centres in Slovenia. Following the official part of the programme, participants will visit St George’s Church, the museum and bell tower, and take a walk through the town to see selected renovated buildings and spaces.
Renovation School among European examples of good practice
This year, the Renovation School programme received the European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award in the category Education, Training and Skills. The awards are presented by the European Commission and Europa Nostra and are supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme. In 2026, 30 projects and individuals from 18 European countries received the award, selected from 261 applications from 40 countries.
The Renovation School was established in 2015 on the initiative of the Association of Historic Towns of Slovenia in response to a shortage of skilled professionals capable of carrying out high-quality renovations of historic buildings. Today, it brings together the Association of Historic Towns of Slovenia, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Ljubljana, and the Secondary School of Construction, Geodesy and Environmental Protection and Technical Gymnasium Ljubljana.
At the heart of the programme are hands-on workshops in traditional building techniques, including stonemasonry, the use of lime mortars and plasters, dry-stone construction, timber structures and traditional roofing. The workshops take place at cultural heritage sites throughout Slovenia and are led by architects, conservators, restorers, craftspeople and other experts.
Since the programme began, approximately 50 workshops have been held at 50 cultural heritage sites, attracting more than 1,000 participants. The programme brings together property owners, craftspeople, experts, public servants, students, teachers and young people, thereby encouraging the transfer of traditional knowledge and skills to new generations.
When presenting the award, the international jury emphasised that the Renovation School responds to a genuine need for skilled professionals in heritage restoration and, through cooperation between institutions, experts and local communities, represents a model that could inspire similar projects elsewhere in Europe.
Third Europa Nostra Award for Slovenia
The award is particularly significant for Slovenia, as after the Pavilion for the Presentation of Archaeology in Celje and Plečnik House in Ljubljana, the Renovation School is only the third Slovenian recipient of this prestigious European recognition.
Representatives of the Renovation School officially received the award on 28 May 2026 at the European ceremony in Nicosia, Cyprus. The September event in Piran will be dedicated to presenting the award to the Slovenian public, partners and experts, while above all highlighting the importance of high-quality renovation of built heritage.
“The European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award 2026 is recognition of the work of everyone who contributes to the Renovation School and confirmation of the importance of cooperation, knowledge transfer and the involvement of new generations. We are particularly pleased that interest in the workshops continues to grow and that an increasing number of young people are taking part,” said Mateja Hafner Dolenc, Secretary General of the Association of Historic Towns of Slovenia, upon receiving the award.
The ceremony in Piran will therefore not only celebrate an important European recognition, but will also provide an opportunity to reflect on how historic towns can keep their heritage alive, renovate it thoughtfully and integrate it into contemporary life and the development of the urban environment.
