Mediterranean Cultural Network of cities - stations of the Apostle Paul missionary path

The MEDMISSION project aims at exploiting the common cultural heritage of Mediterranean cities through the creation of a Sustainable Cultural Network on the traces of the Ap. Paul’s “missionary path for the expansion of the Christianity” taking advantage of ICT technologies and exploiting synergies with local key economic sectors in Mediterranean basin. Main objectives of the project are: • The protection and utilization of the AP’ Paul’s “missionary path” cultural heritage. • The promotion and networking of the cities- stations of Ap. Paul as cultural landscapes of great historic and cultural value and “nodes” of a common “path”. • The creation of relevant ICT applications and cultural tourism “products”. Networking and cooperation of cultures, traditions and nations has long been established in the Mediterranean basin. Especially, in the south eastern part of the Sea, where Christianity was first transmitted, the growth of the Christian religion within the area has been attributed to the efforts of Apostle Paul in Cyprus, Minor Asia, Greece, Malta and South Italy (the actual ARCHIMED area). Following Ap. Paul’s traces, the MEDMISSION project proposes the establishment of a cultural network of Mediterranean cities- stations of Ap. Paul during his missionary path, aiming at the protection, promotion and exploitation of their common cultural heritage. As previously stated, project results can be summarized in the development of a sustainable network taking advantage of ICT technologies and exploiting synergies with local key sectors in Mediterranean basin. This overall objective is envisaged to be achieved through the following activities: • Scientific research and documentation of Ap. Paul’s route within the Mediterranean basin • Development of Information Monuments at local points of the route (on islands) • Creation of a cultural network and promotion of joint activities (meetings, workshops, seminars, festivals) • Pilot implementation of ICT tools for safeguarding and highlighting Ap. Paul’s heritage in the area. (DVD, www site, e-learning platform, learning content and simulation “games”) • Diffusion of the established knowledge base to schools, Universities, Research Institutions via ICT tools. • Establishment of a “product” / “brand” of the “route” in tourist and cultural terms (studies, tourist package) as well as general Promotion Activities of this “route”. • Publicity & Promotion material (conference, books, brochures) • Feasibility – Valorisation Studies for the determination of a common strategy of the network concerning the utilization of the “brand”, addition of other cities/stations and further exploitation • Workshops for awareness creation of Policy Makers on the importance of the Network and cultural protection in the area. The project will be based on cultural data that have been collected by members of the project consortium leaded by Dodecanese Prefecture. The Project team believes that Cultural heritage offers a strategic advantage for the ARCHIMED area and Information Society provides the means and tools to exploit it. The project partners fulfill the due attributes both in geographical (covering Southern Italy, Malta, Greece, Cyprus) and competence terms. Direct benefits are expected for all project partners as well as target groups (researchers, school teachers, pupils, professors, students, local policy makers and citizens) in intervention areas, namely Rhodes, Lesvos, Thessaloniki (GR), Pafos (CY), Malta (MT) and Calabria (IT