MASONIC ARCHITECTURE AND HERITAGE ROUTES
Preserve and Enhance Masonic Heritage
© MAB
The itinerary comprises around thirty sites: temples, libraries, private collections, museums, theaters, and birthplaces.
Most of Masonic history is rooted in Europe. One of the key aspects of this itinerary is the recognition of the essential contribution of tradition and a certain cultural diversity through an essential interdisciplinary dialogue covering the period from the 17th to the 21st century.
Freemasonry is an integral part of European civilization, to which it has made a unique and lasting contribution over the past three hundred years. The cultural itinerary program is an innovative and attractive way to highlight this remarkable history for a wider audience.
European Masonic heritage, represented throughout Europe, promotes the discovery of a specific craftsmanship, as well as the recognition of the major role Freemasons have played in the continent’s history.
The size of these itineraries varies greatly, with some covering just a city, while others span a region, a country, or even several, thus taking on an international dimension.
Must-Visit Destinations
France
Austria
Serbia
Romania
Poland
Next, in Tarnowskie Góry, a UNESCO-listed town, the cultural heritage has been enriched thanks to the town hall, which recovered objects from two Masonic lodges destroyed by the Nazi regime to create a museum. In this region, rich in silver mines, Freemasonry was highly developed. In the same town, a beautifully reconstructed castle houses a Masonic museum and a temple with Masonic furniture, where the lodge of the Grand Lodge of France has been able to meet for its work. One can spend a few days there, as there is a hotel and a restaurant.
Belgium
The diversity and remarkable architecture of Temples in Belgium, whether in Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Liège, Bruges, Tournai or Namur, is a real incentive to follow the paths of Freemasonry. The cultural and historical heritage is not to be outdone, and will fuel everyone’s curiosity!
Slovenia
cartography
France
Belgium
Austria
In Austria, the paths lead to Vienna, rich in Masonic history, which can be discovered throughout its well-restored streets and buildings. Exploring this history takes one back to a significant heritage, from Mozart to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where Freemasonry is prominently present.
Poland
Next, in Tarnowskie Góry, a UNESCO-listed town, the cultural heritage has been enriched thanks to the town hall, which recovered objects from two Masonic lodges destroyed by the Nazi regime to create a museum. In this region, rich in silver mines, Freemasonry was highly developed. In the same town, a beautifully reconstructed castle houses a Masonic museum and a temple with Masonic furniture, where the lodge of the Grand Lodge of France has been able to meet for its work. One can spend a few days there, as there is a hotel and a restaurant.
Romania
Since 1848, there existed in the center of Bucharest a ‘Street of the Freemasons,’ which retained this name until October 1940 (renamed Ștefan Furtună during the communist era and Mircea Vulcănescu since 1990). The ‘Master Mason Manole Walk’ attests to a myth of the guild of church builders in the Middle Ages on the territory of present-day Romania, which Mircea Eliade had already connected to the founding myths of Freemasonry. The country offers explorers all sorts of discoveries of remarkable architectural and Masonic heritage sites.
Serbia
A stroll through Belgrade offers many architectural surprises, revealing true treasures engraved on the facades of buildings. You will also find two suggested walks in the city, which provide a glimpse into Serbian heritage that has been miraculously preserved despite challenging periods since 1940. Enjoy the discovery !