A cultural Itinerary of the Council of Europe
Iter Vitis, les Chemins de la Vigne, has been recognised as a cultural itinerary by the Council of Europe for its mission supporting the recognition and preservation of cultural, tangible and intangible wine-making heritage.
The network of geographically-distant wine-making regions illuminate the remarkable cultural wine-making heritage of our joint history.
To better safeguard this living heritage, this cultural wine-making heritage which is as fragile as it is diverse, Iter Vitis is committed to spreading of knowledge so as to better understand the treasures of our territories.
Iter Vitis, a cultural itinerary in France
Iter Vitis France, a non-profit association (under the law of 1901) created at the end of 2012, reveals, through its members, the scale and richness of the wine-making lands.
The association assists and brings together the wine-making regions, with the aim of creating a dynamism around the recognition of the elements of wine-making heritage and their value.
Iter Vitis France, committed to cultural and human tourism, encourages the sharing of experiences and skills both between the various territories it brings together and their players from the sectors of tourism culture and wine-making.
Why?
A fresh perspective on the joint heritage and history of vines and wine, providing new opportunities for the development of cultural tourism within the wine-making territories, encouraging a special relationship through cultural and sensory experiences.
The spirit of the Cultural route includes the “process of cultural cooperation”, involving all-round cooperation, which enables genuine dialogue between the different stakeholders, municipalities, the national and international public sector and civil society.
Sharing, the essence of the network
Iter Vitis, draws on the cultural dimension for interpretation of the cultural landscape, sharing knowledge in order to improve the discovery of the culture of wine.
Iter Vitis encourages a meeting between wine-growing and wine-making history and the people of the territory, in an approach of active transmission, participative discovery, a cultural experience at the centre of a known heritage identity, to better appreciate and respect the land and its population.
Certification, recognition of identity sites and elements
Inscription on the cultural itinerary, certification of an element of the wine-making cultural landscape, a monument, scenery, or a site, signifies that society recognises their strong identity, an aesthetic, symbolic or historic value, etc.
As part of its approach to quality and heritage appreciation, a scientific consultative committee was set up within the association.
It is made up of representatives of Ministries, institutions and local municipalities, professional organisations, universities, companies, qualified persons from various sectors: scientific, communications, marketing and innovation, journalism and European members of the ICCE network.
These experts bring particular attention to publications and the distribution of knowledge; they also have a major role in reviewing applications for registration of sites and historical and cultural testimonies on the cultural itinerary.