Winners of the 2016 Europa Nostra Awards to honor cultural heritage were announced at the Zarzuela Theater in Madrid. The Greek Traditional Watermill in Agios Germanos Prespes, Greece, was one of the seven Grand Prix laureates selected by independent expert juries, entitled to receive 10,000 euros each.
The watermill in Agios Germanos, Prespes, was awarded a prize in the category of conservation, receiving praise for being the only watermill in the region that has been fully restored. The mill, located at the mountainous region of the National Park of Prespa, was originally constructed in 1930 and is still in full working worder with three different mechanisms to grind flour, clean fabrics and textile finishing. The restoration involved repairing the building which was in a critical condition and needed to have the mechanical systems reconstructed, the water supply system rebuilt and new constructions created so that the mill could be easily accessible to visitors. “With this Award we commend the recovery of this early industrial mill which is highly characteristic of industrialization in Europe. The complexity of the mill and the water supply system is beautiful and has been restored with a high level of expertise,” said the jury.
The full list of seven winners chosen from a shortlist of 28 winning projects this year are as follows: