17/07/2026
Altidore Castle and its dining room was honoured to be part of the European Historic Houses organised exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels, titled “Heritage at Heart: Historic Houses and Gardens as the Cultural Foundations of Europe”, on display from June 1st to 5th.
European Historic Houses also organised a roundtable discussion, titled “Historic Houses as Drivers of Rural Growth in Europe”, bringing together representatives of the European Commission, MEPs, members of EU advisory bodies, and private historic house owners from across Europe.
It provided an important opportunity to present the work of European Historic Houses, highlighting the essential role that privately owned historic houses and gardens play in preserving Europe’s cultural heritage.
Curated around four main themes, the exhibition explored how historic houses and gardens contribute to a shared European identity, from showcasing remarkable architectural diversity to supporting sustainable tourism and rural vitality. Largely built around photographs of private historic houses from across our network, it was also accompanied by quotes from owners.
Their testimonies showed that historic houses and gardens are maintained through continuous private commitment and helped us successfully convey a clear message: they generate public value by supporting local economies, keeping traditional crafts and skills alive, attracting visitors to lesser-known areas, and contributing to the vitality of rural territories.
A brilliant exhibition and we were delighted to be featured as proud members of Historic Houses of Ireland.
As the Irish Presidency of the European Union begins in Ireland we look forward to seeing the ways Irish built, cultural and natural heritage- both public and private- are given a voice in a European context! Photo by John Phelan.
