Regione Veneto
31.03-28.04 2026 Exhibition "The Founding Mothers and Fathers of the European Union"- Valdagno
From the 31th of March to the 28 of April 2026 the exhibition “The Founding Mothers and fathers of the European Union” will be held at the Civic Library Villa Valle (Valdagno), organized by Europe Direct Venezia Veneto of the City of Venice in collaboration with the Municipality of Valdagno, partner of the Veneto Europe Direct sub-network.
The exhibition consists of twenty-two panels in Italian and English illustrating the figures of women and men who, through their constant commitment, have contributed to transforming the European Union from a dream into reality.
Europe Direct Venezia Veneto, the European Union information point operating in the Veneto region, is offering the educational exhibition “The Founding Fathers and Mothers of the European Union”, based on official documentation from the European Commission.
The exhibition is open to the public with free access from Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., on Saturday from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. at the Civic Library Villa Valle, Valdagno (VI).
The inauguration is held on the 31st of March at 12.00 with the presence of the authorities.
The exhibition is dedicated to the 8 women and 13 men – visionary leaders – who inspired the creation of the European Union we live in today.
Without their commitment and motivation we would not be able to live in the context of peace and stability that we take for granted today. Resistance fighters or lawyers and parliamentarians, the EU pioneers were a diverse group of people driven by the same ideals: peace, unity and prosperity in Europe.
In addition to the pioneers presented below, many others inspired the European project and worked tirelessly to make it happen.
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The Founding Mothers:
Nilde Iotti,
Anna Lindh,
Melina Mercouri,
Nicole Fontaine,
Ursula Hirschmann,
Louise Weiss,
Simone Veil
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The Foundinf Fathersi:
Joseph Bech,
Johan Willem Beyen,
Winston Churchill,
Alcide De Gasperi,
Walter Hallstein,
Sicco Mansholt,
Jean Monnet,
Robert Schuman,
Paul-Henri Spaak,
Altiero Spinelli,
Helmut Kohl,
François Mitterand
The underlying theme of the exhibition is the belief of these men and women that the peoples of Europe, while remaining proud of their national identity and history, were determined to overcome ancient divisions and build their common destiny together. The exhibition is divided into 21 panels and combines drawings and photographs with a series of bilingual texts, written in Italian and English, in order to reach a national and international audience.
Visit the European Commission official webpage
Some photos of the past edition:
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