Brussels is applying for UNESCO Intangtible Heritage status for two of the capital’s long-standing traditions.
Duty to preserve, value and pass on
Both the flower carpet that takes over the city’s Grand Place every two years and the city’s marionette arts are set to be recognised by UNESCO as “living cultural heritage” if the application, prepared by urban.brussels, is successful.
Evoking Brussels’ duty to “preserve, value, and pass on” its heritage for future generations, Ans Persoons, Brussels Secretary of State for Town Planning and Heritage, said the city “is world-famous for its Art Nouveau treasures, but it also has a great deal of intangible heritage. From the marionette performances with rod puppets to the impressive flower carpet on the Grand Place, millions of people from all over the world come to Brussels today to discover these traditions.”
The flower carpet
The biennial flower carpet is created right in the heart of the city, using 1680 square metres of fresh blooms, with stunning patterns often selected to pay homage to cultural relations between Brussels and other countries. It will make comeback from 15-18 August 2024.
The tradition was brought to Brussels in the early 1970s by two of the city councillors who had seen something similar in Flanders. But the spectacle has its origins in 14th century Mediterranean countries. Spain, Italy, Malta and Mexico have worked with Belgium on an international application for UNESCO recognition for floral carpetry.
Rod puppetry
The marionette tradition also up for recognition is that of the rod puppet, which goes back to the touring players that scratched their living from live music and theatre performances in the grand houses of Renaissance Europe.
Rod puppets evolved as a way for those less well-off also to enjoy epic storytelling. The puppets are controlled by a hooked metal rod in the head which skilled operators can use to create lifelike movement. The art form “represents four centuries of folk tradition” said Nicolas Géal, Director of the Royal Theatre Toone, one of the only places where the craft lives on in four performances a week.
“It is an art that promotes fundamental values such as education for all, freedom of expression, social cohesion and links between generations,” Geal added.
The pair of applications will be submitted to UNESCO by the end of March. If successful, there will be a framework to follow to ensure the protection of the traditions for future generations.
