El Cau Ferrat and Maricel Museum are competing against other 48 nominees to opt for European Museum of the Year during the Forum The European Museum of the Year Award, which is being held today and Saturday between the cities of Toulouse and San Sebastian. The title European Museum of the Year (EEMYA, in its acronym in English) is granted, since 1977, by the Council of Europe, an organization involving 47 European countries. It is the most prestigious European recognition for museums on the continent. It is delivered by the Council of Europe to distinguish qualitative initiatives and is aimed at both small and large museums, as well as public and private.
The director of the Museums of Sitges, Vinyet Panyella, will defend the nomination of Cau Ferrat and Maricel, alongside all those responsible for the remaining 48 European museums nominated by the Council of Europe. For Vinyet Panyella, "just the simple fact of arriving to final nomination is an explicit recognition of our renovated museums and their operation during the first year." El Cau Ferrat and Maricel are the only two Catalan museums that are nominees. A list of museums that opt for the awards are the Wine Museum of Pagos del Rey (Zamora), the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, the Science Museum of London, Archaeological Museum of Tegea (Greece), the Diocletian Terms - National Museum of Rome (Italy), Postal Museum of Finland or the National Museum of Liechtenstein, among others.
The European Museum of the Year 2015 was Rijkmuseum (Amsterdam), while 2014 was the Museum of Innocence, Istanbul; in 2013, the Riverside Museum in Glasgow in 2012, the Museum Medina Azahara (Cordoba). The only Catalan museum that won Emya is CosmoCaixa, 2006. The Guggenheim Bilbao won in 2000. Other winners were the Salzburg Museum (2009), the Victoria and Albert in London (2003), the Olympic Museum (1995) and Musée de la Camargue in Arles (1979).
Vinyet Panyella will defend the nomination of Cau Ferrat and Maricel Museum during the meeting of The European Museum of the Year Award to be held Saturday morning. The director of Museums of Sitges will showcase the results presented to the General Council of Sitges Heritage Consortium on Monday, detailing that 106,392 people visited the museums of Sitges and participated in its activities during 2015, the first year after the reopening of El Cau Ferrat and Maricel Museum. Records of 2015 also highlight that 5493 students visited the museum last year, and the related lending policies and restoration: 160 came temporarily to the museums and 96 remained there, while there were 55 restorations carried out, 41 of which were carried out at the Consortium's worksops.