TRIMED Project–Culture 2000


TRIMED project - The culture of the bread, oil and wine – within the framework of CULTURE 2000 programme of the European Union, last for three years (2005-2007) and is a cooperation project among 6 Mediterranean islands – Corsica, Cyprus, Malta, Majorca, Naxos and Sicily – which was born with the aim of sharing knowledge and experiences related to the Mediterranean trilogy culture as a tool for its revaluation.  

The so-called “Mediterranean diet” has been traditionally based on the products of the “Mediterranean trilogy”: wheat, olives and grapes. These foodstuffs and their by-products - bread, oil and wine - are one of the food and cultural symbols of the Mediterranean coast countries.






Insularity is one of the factors that has contributed towards the slow transformation of these cultural landscapes due to the permanence of an economic model eminently based on the primary sector and on a secondary sector characterised by the transformation of agricultural products. Nevertheless, the economic and social transformations occurred in the Mediterranean area from the second half of the 20th Century have lead to the deterioration and permanent risk of disappearance of this heritage. For this reason, it is urgent to develop actions towards conservation, interpretation and promotion of this Mediterranean cultural heritage.









The traditional cultivation and production systems of these food products have made possible the configuration of cultural landscapes, which enclose an outstanding natural, tangible and intangible heritage. As far as the natural heritage is concerned, the transformation of nature as a consequence of the human action has lead to the formation of a constructed agricultural landscape of unquestionable natural, cultural and ethnological value. In the same way, the preparation of bread, oil and wine in the pre-industrial period was developed by using techniques and tools that have given rise to the progressive configuration of a tangible heritage, both movable and immovable, which is characteristic of the rural areas in the Mediterranean countries. All these elements - agricultural landscape and movable and immovable goods - have contributed towards an important popular and traditional cultural background of immaterial nature.


The TRIMED project -The bread, oil and wine culture- seeks to safeguard, interpret and promote the common cultural heritage derived from the cultivation, manufacture and consumption of the Mediterranean trilogy products through investigation, restoration, promotion and cooperation actions. The main objectives of the Project are:

Recover the collective memory of the immaterial heritage of the Mediterranean Trilogy

Compile and study the techniques and utensils used in the traditional cultivation and production of these products

Promote the conservation, protection and awareness of the natural, architectural and furnishings heritage arising from the production and preparation of these basic products in the Mediterranean diet

Study and communicate the restoration techniques of these heritage goods, based on the use of traditional processes materials

Extent the material and immaterial heritage of the Mediterranean Trilogy

Promote the culture of the natural preparation processes of these products and stimulate their conservation in today’s market

Promote the mobility of professionals of participating countries

Use new technology as a means of cultural diffusion and cooperation between countries

Finally, transmit the results of the Project to other countries of the European Union

Each objective will be achieved by means of activities, which will be performed through 4 action lines:

Line 1

The first action line is focused on the study and research on cultivation techniques and preparation processes of the products of the Mediterranean trilogy and includes activities 1, 2 and 3, which consist in preparing interviews and recording a video; creating data bases and drawing up interpretation and restoration projects.

Line 2

The second action line is focused on the restoration of architectural and technical elements linked to the preparation of bread, oil and wine. It includes activities 4 and 5, which consist in implementing the restorations, as projected in the activity 3, and in writing good practice manuals.

Line 3

The third action line is focused on the promotion of the Mediterranean trilogy culture and includes activities 6, 7, 8 and 9, which consist in implementing interpretation projects, displaying exhibitions, producing circulation materials and creating a website.

Line 4

The fourth action line is focused on the cooperation between the participating Mediterranean islands and includes activities 10, 11, 12 and 13. These activities consist in organizing technical conferences, monographic seminars, restoration workshops and coordination meetings.