The EAGLE Project – Europeana network of Ancient Greek and Latin Epigraphy (www.eagle-network.eu) – is offering a special prize for the best photography of ancient inscriptions  within any one of the participating monuments of the WikiLovesMonuments Italia (http://www.wikilovesmonuments.it/) contest.

It is a well-known fact that Italy boasts a number of inscriptions whose magnitude is unique among world cultural partrimonies.

Inscriptions constitute a unique and precious heritage whose extraordinary richness is peerless in terms of quantity and extension throughout the Italian peninsula.

Roman cities were literally strewn with written messages of the most varied nature: monumental inscriptions resulting from an intervention by the central power seeking to propagate a certain image of itself; inscriptions posted by private parties reflecting religious convictions, professional activities, and familial ties; graffiti and occasional writings, too often ignored by history book, which stand as testimony to the nature of everyday life in its humblest and most popular aspects.

The special EAGLE prize for WikiLovesMonuments ITALIA seeks to promote the intrinsic testimonial value of inscriptions and to do so in such a way that this patrimony, which exists right under the eyes of the world yet often goes barely noticed, emerges and gains the visibility that it deserves.

The prize consists of a 100 euro Amazon gift card.

Donwload here a (non-comprehensive) list of monuments in which epigraphs may be photographed for the contest.