About Religiana
Europe is home to several hundred thousand churches, chapels, mosques, synagogues, abbeys and other religious sites. For visitors, they are places of cultural, artistic and historical wonder. For local people, they are places of community heritage, shared space and local history. Many contain hidden artistic gems.
Religiana, a project created by Future for Religious Heritage, is a comprehensive resource to promote and protect European religious heritage. Featuring information on buildings from across Europe, Religiana serves two purposes: it promotes these buildings as beautiful and unique places to visit and facilitates visits by sharing practical information with users; whilst also helping preserve European heritage through highlighting restoration and financial needs.
75% of Europeans believe that religious heritage buildings occupy an essential place in their cultural heritance. Religiana not only allows greater numbers of people to experience and appreciate these sites, it helps promote the maintenance and restoration work that these buildings may require in order to stay open.
Why Religiana?
Europe’s Religious Heritage – the 500,000 buildings themselves, churches, chapels, synagogues, mosques, cathedral, monasteries, convents: their furnishings, monuments, sculptures, paintings, frescos, silver, vestments, libraries: the architects, artists and musicians they have inspired over the centuries: their record of national, local and individual history dating back well over 1000 years – which represent a unique and essential part of Europe’s cultural identity is largely ignored.
The potential for religious heritage buildings to attract visitors and for visits to be enjoyable and worthwhile is huge. Religious buildings provide a window into the past, giving visitors the chance to learn more about their ancestors and the world they lived in, as well as showcasing the work of some of histories most talented craftsman.
Through Religiana, Future for Religious Heritage has created a platform that aims to enable visitors to access information on Europe’s Grandest Museum from the comfort of their home, or while on the move, supporting visitors to these beautiful buildings.
Religiana Partners
Alde Fryske Tsjerken Foundation - The aim of Alde Fryske Tsjerken Foundation the is the restoration and preservation of historically significant church buildings in the province of Friesland. In this respect, it has the status of a "Professional Organisation for the Preservation of Monuments" (POM). The Foundation also wants to awaken public interest in church buildings. Alde Fryske Tsjerken is a member of FRH.
Asociația Pentru Turism Bucovina - Bucovina Tourism Association was established at the end of 2001 at the joint initiative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Suceava County, the IBD-GTZ office in Romania and with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, public administration officials and all tourism agents. The Association was and is the main organisation providing the promotion of Bucovina as a tourism destination, in cooperation with public institutions and other associations established at a sub-destination level.
Cyprus Religious Heritage - Cyprus Religious Heritage is a website documenting religious heritage sites which were left behind by both Christians and Muslims, after the internal strife during the 1960s and after the tragic de facto partition of the island in 1974, which caused the internal displacement of thousands of Cypriots, and the persistent spatial separation of Greek and Turkish Cypriots on the island.
European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius - The European Cultural Route of Saints Cyril and Methodius is an interest association of legal entities based in the Czech Republic, founded in 2013. It promotes the living Cyrillo-Methodian legacy and values based on respect and dialogue between people of different cultures and faiths. The association is responsible for the development of the ‘Cyril and Methodius Route’, a product of cultural tourism, which was awarded the title of ‘Cultural Route of the Council of Europe’ in 2021. The Cyril and Methodius Route in the footsteps of the story of the ‘Apostles to the Slavs’ and co-patrons of Europe brings knowledge and awareness through experience. The cultural route has been designed both as a set of linear marked trails and as a network of geographically disparate sites (monuments).
European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative (ESJF) - The European Jewish Cemteries Initiative is a German-based non-profit established in 2015 by Rabbi Isaac Schapira with the core objective of protecting and preserving Jewish cemeteries across Europe through the accurate delineation of cemetery boundaries and the construction of walls and locking gates. The ESJF has managed to fence over 250 Jewish cemeteries across Europe, has conducted mass surveys using cutting edge drone technology, produced publications and conducted educational outreach.
European Route of Brick Gothic - European Route of Brick Gothic brings together members who are aware of the value, significance and cultural tourism potential of their Brick Gothic buildings, and who are keen to pool their resources and raise awareness of their heritage among the European public. The European Route of Brick Gothic today encompasses cities, regions and buildings, mainly from the southern Baltic Sea region.
Fortified Churches Foundation - The Fortified Churches Foundation is an expert institution dedicated to preserving and maintaining the religious heritage of the Evangelic Church of Augustan Confession in Romania (ECR). To do so, a large number of activities that go beyond the fields of construction and preservation are intended. Fortified Churches Foundation is a member of FRH.
Foundation for Jewish Heritage - The Foundation for Jewish Heritage is dedicated to the preservation of Jewish architectural sites, working internationally to ensure a future for historic synagogues, Jewish monuments and places of cultural significance. The Foundation commissioned research, undertaken by the Center for Jewish Art of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, to create an inventory of the historic synagogues across the whole of Europe. Foundation for Jewish Heritage is a member of FRH.
Kerken Tellen - Kerken Tellen is an interactive map about places of worship in the Netherlands powered by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE), the Cultural Heritage Agency working for the protection and conservation of Dutch National Heritage Sites. The map brings together more than 7,100 places of worship, allowing users to search for sites and combine the data provided and the map with other sources for their own purposes of research, study, information, etc.
Kirkesok - Kirkesok is a website that contains all churches belonging to the Norwegian Church. It is operated by KA, an organisation that aims to ensure professional and long-term management of the church buildings. On behalf of the Ministry of Church Affairs of Norway, KA is responsible for the development of the Church Building Database, which is a management tool for local, regional and central administrative units.
Klosterland - Klosterland is a non-profit organisation created in 2013, to establish trans-regional, cross-border cooperation among abbeys and promote the preservation and revitalisation of monastic heritage. Under the Klosterland umbrella, members also present their offerings as well as network products, like exhibitions, concerts, events and information media. The member organisations, are mainly located in Germany and northwest of Poland. Klosterland is a member of FRH.
Monestirs.cat - monestirs.cat is a guide to the monasteries and convents of Catalonia and its surroundings, where users can find information on just over six hundred monastic establishments in the region, as well as some nine hundred in the rest of Spain, France and Portugal.
National Churches Trust - The work of the National Churches Trust is dedicated to supporting places of worship of historic, architectural and communal value used by Christian denotations throughout the UK. They do this by providing grants for urgent repairs and community facilities, helping places of worship keep their buildings in good repair through their “MaintenanceBooker” service, and on their Explore Churches website making it easy for everyone to discover the wonder of the UK’s sacred heritage. National Churches Trust is a member of FRH.
Observatoire du Patrimoine Religieux - OPR is a French association which works for the preservation and enhancement of French religious heritage, all cults and periods combined. The Observatoire du Patrimoine Religieux also advises France's elected officials, who are in charge of nearly 42,000 religious buildings. Observatoire du Patrimoine Religieux is a member of FRH.
Open Churches - Founded in 2016, Open Churches is a network of more than 425 churches located in Belgium, France and Luxembourg. The members of Open Churches are committed to ensuring churches remain welcoming places for visitors, and that they do not close their doors. They also share in-depth information on the churches on the Open Churches website. The association is distinguished by the individual relationship it builds with each of the churches in the network, as well as the promotion and support for volunteer groups that act as custodians for the churches. Open Churches is a member of FRH.
Oude Groninger Kerken Foundation - The Oude Groninger Kerken Foundation was established on 13 May 1969, at a time when many churches were threatened by serious decay. Thanks to the initiative of a group of highly committed and motivated people, the Foundation was established to work for the preservation of churches as religious heritage. Oude Groninger Kerken is a member of FRH.
Route of the Romanesque - The Route of the Romanesque has been emerging as a national reference project, being recognised as a paradigm of regional development, in various areas of intervention: from heritage conservation to tourist promotion, from scientific research to the dissemination of knowledge, from cultural promotion to heritage education.
Straße der Moderne - Straße der Moderne is a website offering a wide range of search options on 20th century churches in Germany. Liturgical concepts, pieces of Art interior and architecture of important examples of modern churches are presented by experts in short, informative texts. Additional information is provided by the database of architects and artists. Straße der Moderne is a project of the German Liturgical Institute (Deutsches Liturgisches Institut/DLI).
The Fortified Churches of the Thiérache - This website features the over 60 fortified churches of the Thiérache region in France. These churches were built during the 16th century and are characterised by their fortress-style architectural style. The website is a project by Bernd Jatzwauk.
The Round Tower Churches of Europe - This website features Round Tower Churches in Europe, an unusual construction that can be found mainly in Norfolk (United Kingdom), but also in other countries like Germany, France or Luxembourg. The website is a project by Bernd Jatzwauk.
