CANEPAL is a European project designed to research and draw attention to the common European heritage of sheep farming and cultural life.

The project aims to highlight and interpret the cultural heritage that relates to sheep farming and pastoral life and to link this heritage to contemporary social, economic and environmental issues that may have an impact on the sustainability of rural areas, including questions of social exclusion. More specifically, CANEPAL’s objectives are:

• To explore the common European elements of the cultural heritage related to sheep and shepherds, and create free on-line research resources.
• To promote sheep and pastoral life heritage, connecting it with contemporary questions of economic, social and ecological sustainability of rural areas, through exhibitions and publications.
• To stimulate debate and exchange of experience of professionals in rural cultural heritage, using contemporary means of networking.
• To stimulate a systematic intercultural dialogue in Europe.
• To attract the interest of the general public and especially young people in rural cultural heritage though innovative Games-based learning tools, creative educational programmes, and a virtual museum.

The project is co-funded by the European Cultural Programme (2007-2013) – Support for cultural projects.

[Download project leaflet PDF]