Comune di Pavia (Italy) - project coordinator - is the capital of one of the 11 provinces of the Lombardy Region and administers an area of about 6 sq km with a resident population of 71.882 inhabitants (37.577 female – 34.305 male). The city is characterized by the dense presence of both artificial and natural water canals and a rich historical, artistic and monumental heritage. Its artistic, architectural and monumental heritage, testimony of an ancient history, has its origins already in Roman times. For centuries the ancient Pavia (Ticinum), founded by Ligurians and Celts, was the hub of trade between the plain and the great rivers. Here, in Roman times, two consular roads joined, and throughout the Middle Ages, spices and fabrics imported by Venetian merchants arrived, going up the Po and the Ticino on boats; from here the goods arrived in Milan. Sacked several times by the barbarians, it was the capital of the Lombard kingdom. Conquered by the Carolingians and dominated by the Spaniards, French and Austrians from the 18th to the 19th century, the city became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, the future Kingdom of Italy, only in 1859.

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City of Hildesheim (Germany) includes about 102.000 inhabitants, is located in Lower Saxony on the banks of the Innerste River, a small tributary of the Leine River. The Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious founded the Bishopric of Hildesheim in 815 and created the first settlement with a chapel on the so called Domhügel. Hildesheim is situated on autobahn route 7, and hence is at the connection point of the North (Hamburg and beyond) with the South of Europe. With the Hildesheim Cathedral of Mary and the St. Michael's Church, Hildesheim became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985. When Hildesheim obtained city status in 1249, it was one of the biggest cities in Northern Germany. For four centuries the clergy ruled Hildesheim, before a town Hall was built and the citizens gained some influence and independence. Construction of the present Town Hall started in 1268. In 1367 Hildesheim became a member of the Hanseatic League. A war between the citizens and their bishop cost dearly in 1519–23 when they engaged in a feud. Hildesheim became Lutheran in 1542, and only the cathedral and a few other buildings remained in Imperial (Roman Catholic) hands. Several villages around the city remained Roman Catholic as well. In 1813, after the Napoleonic Wars, the town became part of the Kingdom of Hanover, which was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia as a province after the Austro-Prussian War in 1866. In 1868 a highly valuable trove of about 70 Roman silver vessels for eating and drinking, the so called Hildesheim silver treasure, was unearthed by Prussian soldiers. 

 

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Coimbra has about 143.000 inhabitant and is located at the center of Portugal. Sitting on the margins of the Mondego River, that allowed a millennial exchange of knowledge and beliefs, and the city has always been a meeting point of different peoples, cultures, and creeds. This rich history has yielded a cosmopolitan outlook and upcoming attitude that is deeply embedded in the city’s DNA. Perceiving diversity as a powerful driver of innovation Coimbra takes pride on welcoming, respecting and building on the diverse approaches to reality that coexist in their city. Coimbra is a place of culture and for culture. Alongside the UNESCO’s recognition of World’s Heritage in 2013, the city is a stage of intense artistic creation open to forefront dimensions and experimentation, powered by the 122 nationalities Coimbra hosts and by the largest student’s international community in the country. Coimbra has always been a cultural center of reference, but that role has been reinforced through a development strategy that places citizens, education, culture and tourism at the core of its structural development.

 

 

 

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Turku kaupunki (Finland) is the third largest urban centre of Finland, the city itself having 195.000 and the urban area app. 300 000 inhabitants. Turku has a very favorable geographical position in the southwestern tip of the country by the Baltic sea. It has always played a vital and substantial role in Finnish history and culture because it is the oldest city and the former capital of the country. Since the inauguration of the cathedral (1300) Turku has been the receiver and conveyor of western cultural influence in Finland. The influence of western science, literature, art, music and handicraft spread and was integrated with the culture of the original population through Turku. Receiving and filtering international currents is still today Turku’s most important offering to the nation. However, Turku is not just a historical city but a modern city of culture, education and sports. Turku served as the European Capital of Culture in 2011. Turku also hosted the Europa Nostra / European Heritage Congress in May 2017, Only 30 minutes from the urban pulse of Turku you can find your own little paradise since the Turku archipelago has over 20 000 islands, islets and outcroppings rise out of the sea. The Baltic sea is an essential part of Turku’s profile. Maritime, logistics and biotech clusters are the industrial flagships of the Turku economic region. 

 

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The City of Iaşi includes about 390.000 inhabitants and is “the Cultural capital” of Romania. It is situated in S-E Europe, in the Nord-East Region of Romania and it is the most important city near the eastern border, the eastern entrance gate in the European Union and capital of the Euro-region. It is one of the oldest and most important university centers in Romania, with more than 70,000 students every year in 5 universities: “Al. I. Cuza” University for Human sciences, “Gh. Asachi” Technical University, “Gr. T. Popa” Medicine and Pharmacy University, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Agricultural University, “G. Enescu” University of Arts. Iasi’s strategy emphases the sustainable development based on entrepreneurship, ITC, culture, heritage, innovation and creativity. Our previous experience proves that the Municipality has a good communication and networking with local and regional partners, either public, private or NGO and has a good ability to disseminate its best practices to all its partners. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iaşi has traditionally been one of the leading centers of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1564 to 1859, then of the United Principalities from 1859 to 1862 and the capital of Romania from 1916 to 1918. Still referred to as The Moldavian Capital, Iaşi is the seat of Iaşi Prefecture and the main economic center of the Romanian region of Moldavia. The social and cultural life revolves around the National Theater (the oldest in Romania), the Moldova State Philharmonic, the Opera House, the Tătăraşi Athenaeum, a famous Botanical Garden (the oldest and largest in Romania), the Central University Library (the oldest in Romania), promoting the high quality national and foreign culture.

 

 

 

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Ayuntamiento Salamanca (Spain) has long been one of the centres of culture and creativity in Europe, hence it was prized as European City of Culture in 2002: that year, more than one thousand cultural activities were enjoyed directly by more than two million people, and the city was visited by more than three million people. Since then, Salamanca is one of the most important cultural focus in Spain. Moreover, in 2018, Salamanca celebrated the creation of its public University 800 years ago with a first rate cultural programme. The Municipality of Salamanca is deeply focused on promoting entrepreneurship among young people, specially university students, to whom several specific programs are addressed: start–up support, working practices in private businesses, assistance and guidance in business creation. In addition to that, the Municipality of Salamanca also has female population constantly in mind: there is a municipal institution in charge of dealing with any aspect concerned with women: education, entrepreneurship, protection, etc. Finally, the municipal area of Social Welfare is concerned with minorities and underrepresented people, with specific programs addressed to them.

 

 

 

 

 

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Grand Poitiers Communauté Urbaine (France) includes 200,000 inhabitants. It’s the second centre of higher education and research in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and the first for its student/population ratio. The territory also presents a real cultural dynamic based on a very lively associative network and important infrastructures such as: the Auditorium Theater of Poitiers, the Confort Moderne, RURART (contemporary art center), the Fanzinotheque, the Hune and many festivals premises spread over the whole territory: the lyric evenings of Sanxay, Melusik, the Expressifs, Poitiers Film Festival, Vox Musica, the Music and Tales festival ... Grand Poitiers has a strong cultural heritage (church, buildings, cathedrals ...). The municipally wishes to highlight this heritage and bring citizens together in these places. For this several measures have been put in place such as the opening to the public of the Palace of the Dukes: this historic place can also host events. This comes within the framework of the project: "district of the Palace". Launched in 2020, the project is to restore the district of the palace so as to make it a real place of life. The inhabitants were also invited to imagine the future development of this cultural district.
 

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Ville de Besançon (France) includes about 117.000 inhabitants, is the capital of the historical and cultural region of Franche-Comte and is today an important administrative centre within the greater Burgundy-Franche-Comte region. Established in a meander of the Doubs, the city has played an important role since Gallo-Roman times under the name of Vesontio, capital of the Sequanes. Its geography and specific history have made it in turn a military stronghold, a garrison town, a political centre and a religious capital. Besancon, the historical cradle of French watchmaking, has inherited this know-how, which is part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and has become an important industrial centre with innovative companies in the field of microtechnology, micromechanics and biomedical engineering. Proclaimed the first green city in France, the capital of Franche-Comte enjoys a recognised quality of life. Thanks to its rich historical and cultural heritage and its unique architecture, Besançon has held the French label Ville d'art et d'histoire (City of Art and History) since 1986 and its fortifications, designed by Vauban, have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008. The city has a rich and diversified heritage with six museums of France and nearly 200 historical monuments. Gallo-Roman remains, Renaissance palaces, bastioned fortifications and mansions with classical facades make up the urban landscape. 

 

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University of Pavia (Italy) - associated partner - one of the oldest in Europe, was founded in 1361 by Galeazzo II Visconti, who set up courses in law, medicine and liberal arts. It was the sole university in Milan and the greater Lombardy region until the end of the 19th century. Currently, it has 18 departments and 9 faculties. It doesn't have a main campus, its buildings and facilities are scattered around the city, earning the city of Pavia its title "a city campus". The university caters to more than 20,000 students who come from Italy and all over the world. It offers more than 80 undergraduate programs, more than 40 master programs and about 20 doctoral programs, including 8 English programs. About 1,500 students who enter the university every year are international students. The university operates multiple cultural and scientific museums, including the University History Museum, a botanical garden, research centers, university libraries and a university press. The university is also affiliated with Policlinico San Matteo, where every year, hundreds of medical students from the university perform clinical rotations during their clinical years. The University of Pavia is a member of the COIMBRA Group and European University Association. It also participates in the Erasmus Programme, which allows student exchanges between the University of Pavia and various universities in Europe.