Isabella Mavellia and Her Work with the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes

M.A. Isabella Mavellia is a German–Italian cultural strategist and practitioner whose work spans heritage preservation, sustainable tourism, and transnational cultural cooperation. A key chapter in her professional journey was her contribution to the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes programme, where she held a dual role: supporting both the Routes4U project and the Institute of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe in Luxembourg.

In her double function, Isabella helped develop the Routes4U project, a joint initiative funded by the Council of Europe and the European Union, which aimed to foster regional development through the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. This project targeted four EU macro-regions — the Adriatic‑Ionian, Alpine, Baltic Sea, and Danube regions — and focused on strengthening regional cooperation, cultural tourism, social cohesion, and heritage‑led development across Europe. (pjp-eu.coe.int)

At the Institute of Cultural Routes, Isabella supported network management, quality standards, and international coordination of the Cultural Routes programme. She also actively contributed to evaluating existing Cultural Routes and reviewing candidate sites, ensuring they met the Council of Europe’s criteria for heritage quality, cultural significance, and cross-border collaboration. Her dual responsibilities allowed her to bridge project implementation with institutional strategy, aligning Routes4U activities with the broader objectives of the Cultural Routes network.

Isabella also helped organise the first Routes4U conference in Venice, bringing together cultural professionals, local authorities, tourism stakeholders, and European experts to explore innovative approaches to sustainable cultural routes and regional development.

Her work reflects a commitment to bridging local identities with broader European narratives, using cultural heritage and tourism as tools for inclusive development, regional cooperation, and cross‑border exchange.

Council of Europes Cultural Routes:

https://www.coe.int/en/web/cultural-routes

For more on the Routes4U initiative, see:

👉 Fostering regional development through Cultural Routes (Routes4U) — the Council of Europe’s official page detailing the project’s aims, activities, and regional scope.