St Willibrord statue in Echternach;
Luxembourg's Ministry of Culture has confirmed that consultations have taken place between the Ministry of Culture and the City of Echternach with a view to enhancing the cultural heritage of the oldest city in the country.
In the context of the recent discovery by the National Centre for Archaeological Research (CNRA) of remains dating back to the seventh century AD under the former hotel-restaurant “À la Petite Marquise” in Echternach, the Minister of Culture, Sam Tanson, met the city council of Echternach on Thursday 20 May 2021 in order to reflect together on ways of enhancing the archaeological heritage of the oldest town in the country.
The City of Echternach is known beyond the borders as a major place in Luxembourg's history and the remains discovered by the CNRA, dating back to the time of Saint Willibrord (658-739), represent a unique witness to the richness of this historical past. Due to the exceptional nature of the excavation, the Minister of Culture referred the matter to the Commission for National Sites and Monuments in order to analyse the classification of the archaeological remains as a national monument.
Aware of the scope of the excavation, the united parties agreed to set up a working group with a view to establishing avenues for the overall enhancement of the cultural heritage of the City of Echternach and to propose a revised project for the “Petite Marquise” site. The working group will bring together representatives of the City of Echternach as well as various state representatives and experts from the field of archeology, national sites and monuments, culture, finance, tourism, public buildings and housing.
