A Heritage Day dedicated to the polar regions

For the 31st European Heritage Days on Sunday, October 4, held under the theme "Heritage in Peril: Revive, Resist, Reinvent", the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has chosen to highlight the polar regions, which are global commons and sentinels of planetary health.

A conference will be offered at 10:00 a.m. in English (registration required) and at 3:00 p.m. in French (registration recommended).

Led by Philippe Mondielli, Scientific Director, and Salomé Mormentyn, Manager of the Foundation’s Polar Initiative, the presentation will address the challenges currently facing polar regions, the global implications of their condition, and the solutions being implemented to safeguard them.

Designed to resonate with the event's theme, the presentation titled "Polar Regions in Peril: Protect, Conserve, Perpetuate" (45 minutes) will focus on three key topics: the creation of the Ross Sea sanctuary in Antarctica (also illustrated by John Weller’s inspiring photographic exhibition "Peace Through Science," a plea for the protection of Antarctica, the climate, and the ocean); the Ice Memory project, supported by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, which aims to document and preserve ice cores from threatened glaciers; and the cause of local and indigenous populations—who are the first victims of climate change yet also guardians of ancestral knowledge that can contribute to the preservation of polar ecosystems.

A second exhibition, "69° North – Greenland," will also be on display, offering a different perspective, poetic and abstract, from artist and environmentalist Meg O'Hara. Specializing in polar ocean conservation, O'Hara has participated in numerous expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic and seeks to translate climate research into visual narratives.

Visitors are also invited to explore Villa Girasole at their leisure between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Built in 1889, the villa features remarkable Belle Époque architecture and currently serves as the headquarters for the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Mediterranean Science Commission (CIESM).


Self-guided tour of Villa Girasole: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Registration link for the lectures: here