Delegation from Brussels' Saint-Gilles Visits Georgia at Khazaradze Foundation's Invitation
At the invitation of the Khazaradze Foundation, a representative delegation led by the mayor of the Saint-Gilles municipality of Brussels, Belgium, visited Georgia. The foundation is disseminating the information.
The delegation included architects, restorers, researchers, art historians and media representatives involved in the restoration project of the Brussels historical monument "Aegidium" (Aegidium). According to the foundation, the main purpose of the visit is to strengthen Georgian-European cultural and historical ties and to showcase the shared values underpinning the revival project of "Aegidium" in the centre of Brussels.
According to the foundation, "Aegidium" (formerly Diamant Palace) passed into the ownership of the Khazaradze family several months ago. In agreement with local authorities, the building will return to its original purpose and become a permanent venue for cultural, educational and diplomatic dialogue between Georgia and Europe.
The guests visited the National Gallery of Georgia, the Lado Gudiashvili House-Museum and the State Museum of Arts, and attended a rehearsal of the Sukhishvili Georgian National Ballet. They also visited the Tbilisi Academy of Arts, the historic building of TBC Bank and the contemporary space of Lisi Development. According to the foundation, the guests were particularly impressed by Tbilisi's Art Nouveau architecture, the historic streets of Sololaki and the House of Writers. The delegation also rode the Mtatsminda funicular, whose idea belonged to the Belgian engineer Alphonse Robert in the 19th century.
The cultural route continued in Mtskheta. The guests visited Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and its historic bell tower, which was restored with the support of Mamuka Khazaradze, as well as Chateau Mukhrani, also restored by him, where they learned about Georgian winemaking traditions. The delegation then visited Vazisubani Estate in Kakheti, and the visit concluded at the Jazz & Wine Festival in Tsinandali.
