Today, the Commission presented a collection of 3D digitized cultural heritage goods on Europeana, the common European cultural heritage data space. The collection was presented at a high-level event in Brussels in the presence of Commissioner Thierry Breton and EU Culture Ministers.

The collection resulted from the campaign ‘Twin it! 3D for Europe’s culture’ and includes a range of historic buildings, sites and objects, such as the statue of Our Lady of the Breastfeeding in Leuven, Belgium, the archaeological site of Delphi, the Freedom Monument in Riga, Latvia and the collegiate church of Bishop Martin in Opatów, Poland. The full collection of 3D data submitted by the respective Member States is available in the ‘Twin-it!’ in Europeana.

Mr Thierry Breton, Commissioner for the Internal Market, said: “The high-quality 3D models of Europe’s cultural assets that we present today demonstrate European excellence in 3D digitisation. I encourage all Member States to take advantage of the opportunities offered by digital technology and data to preserve our European cultural heritage for future generations, as well as to promote innovative applications in areas such as education and tourism.”

Launched on 21 June 2023, the ‘Twin it!’ initiative invited the 27 EU Ministries of Culture to select and submit a 3D digitized cultural heritage asset. The campaign aimed to encourage innovation and accelerate the use and reuse of 3D imagery while supporting Member States in their efforts to digitize and preserve cultural heritage.

The European Commission’s 2021 recommendation on a common European heritage data space calls on EU member states to digitize in 3D by 2030 all monuments and sites they consider to be at risk and half of the most visited monuments . The initiative “Twin it! 3D for Europe’s culture’ contributes to the achievement of these ambitious goals.

Lena Flitzani