ARTA, Greece — The project to restore and reconstruct the historic Plaka Bridge in Epirus, which was washed away by a flash flood in 2015, has won one of 24 European Heritage Awards/ Europa Nostra Awards handed out in 2021 for "exemplary achievements" in the heritage field, which were announced by the European Commission on Tuesday.

The Plaka bridge was one of the conservation achievements awarded in 2021, while Europa Nostra awards were also given to two research projects in which Greece collaborated: Fibranet (FIBres in ANcient European Textiles – on preserving ancient fabrics), a joint project with Denmark, and "Control Shift – European Industrial Heritage Reuse in Review" with the Netherlands.

According to a culture ministry announcement, the awards to the 24 entries from 18 countries were announced in a live online event on Tuesday, with the winners selected among entries from 30 countries by independent committees made up of cultural heritage experts from all over Europe.

"Greece today won an particularly important distinction, the 2021 Europa Nostra Award, for the exemplary restoration of the Plaka Bridge in Epirus. The specific award – which is added to a series of other similar distinctions that the culture ministry has received from Europa Nostra – once again confirms the high level of scientific expertise of the ministries of culture, transport and development, the Epirus Region, the National and Technical University of Athens and the Technical Chamber," Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said, noting that the bridge's collapse was an example of the impact of climate change on cultural heritage.