The Ename Center for Public Archaeology and Heritage Presentation started to bring Francia Media to the attention of the European institutions in 2008.

Francia Media saw the light of day in 843, at the time of the Treaty of Verdun, when the former empire of Charlemagne was split into three parts: East and West Francia, which would later become Germany and France respectively, and in between Middle Francia or Francia Media. Over the next 5 years, 20 organisations from 11 different countries will work on the Cradles of European Culture project, which was approved under the European 2007-2013 cultural programme.

The Carolingian middle empire covered a small strip of Europe linking the North Sea to the Mediterranean. Although the political history of Francia Media lasted only for a couple of decennia, its cultural, economic and social impact was considerable. The historic centre of the area indeed encompassed the main commercial artery between North and South as well as the communication path of early medieval Europe.

To bring this lesser-known chapter of European history to people’s attention, the Ename Center developed a project originating in the St Lawrence church of Ename and the St Martin church of Velzeke (Belgium). Both buildings are unique monuments that refer to the early mediaeval imperial churches in the area between the Scheldt and the Elbe rivers.

These examples of 10th-century international architecture in the Province of East-Flanders inspired the Ename Center to launch a project in the context of the European 2007-2013 cultural programme: Cradles of European Culture. Twenty organisations (heritage establishments, research institutes, universities and museums) from Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Italy, Croatia, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic will participate in this project.

In this way, the heritage expertise that Ename and Velzeke have acquired will also be valorised elsewhere in Europe.