The project significantly increased the content on Byzantine history, art and culture available through Europeana.
Byzantine culture played a key role in shaping European cultural heritage. For centuries, the Byzantine Empire (330-1453 AD) extended throughout the Mediterranean and has had a strong influence over European history, artistic and cultural expressions. Today, Byzantine art heritage in Europe is often undervalued, although each Mediterranean region preserves remarkable memories and traces of its Byzantine past.
The Byzantine Art and Archaeology project aimed to raise awareness about Byzantine heritage by digitising, aggregating and showcasing thematic archival photographs, audio-visual materials and 3D reconstructions from this period on the Europeana collection website. The project delivered more than 75,000 new digital objects on Byzantine history and culture.
The content and metadata provide Europeana visitors with a rich online experience to spark their interest in the topic. A special project highlight is the 'Silk and the blood' exhibition, which showcases the power and patronage in the Byzantine world. The exhibition illustrates how divinity and authorities were central structures in the Byzantine society, culture and arts.
Explore the dedicated Byzantine data on Europeana collections website
This project was a Europeana Generic Services project and it was co-financed by the Connecting Europe Facility of the European Union.
University of Bologna, Department of History and Cultures, Italy (project coordinator)
Ionian University, Department of Audio and Visual Arts, Greece
Open University of Cyprus, Cyprus
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Art Studies, Bulgaria
Institute of Historical Research - National Hellenic Research Foundation, Greece
Museo d’Arte della città di Ravenna, International Centre for Documentation of Mosaics, Italy
