Memory of European ports

« Mémoire des ports d’Europe » is a competition dedicated to the maritime heritage which was organized in 2012 by the Chasse Marée, a specialized magazine. This magazine was created in 1981 to save, promote and transmit maritime culture. For almost 30 years, it organized competitions which  have contributed to a better fame of maritime heritage. 

« Mémoire des ports d’Europe » mobilized several partners : Brittany, the Maritime Heritage Foundation (created in France in 1992), the Regional Federation for Culture and Brittany’s Maritime Heritage.

The competition aimed at encouraging all European harbour cities to inventory their maritime heritage, to protect sites and historic buildings, to collect memories and local know-how, to make traditional boats welcome. The main purpose was to incite actors to reveal a specific heritage in every harbour.

The first prize was attributed to the peninsula of Giens and several prizes were also awarded to other entrants. Giens is an exceptional site where is situated Olbia, a former greek city of the IVth century BC. Giens shelters ancient ship wrecks, for example the Madrague. In Giens, there is a tower named « La Tour Fondue ». It was built to combat the piracy. Giens is also a natural patrimonial site, with the lagoon of Pesquiers. The peninsula’s development is more and more thought at local level in dialogue between the political officers, the inhabitants and the institutions of heritage preservation. Maritime heritage requires that all society pays attention to historic monuments and artefacts not to disappear on the pretext of modernization or safety. Nowadays, the maritime heritage conservation and transmission stays a non achieved task.