The Traces: places, monuments and artworks with a linguistic memory

The Traces are tangible signs of the presence of languages in Europe, preserved in places, monuments and works of art. Each Trace represents a unique link between a material object and its immaterial dimension: the cultural and linguistic history it carries.

Through inscriptions, graffiti, place names, legends, songs and other elements, the Traces document the richness and variety of the languages that have inhabited and continue to resonate in European territories. This heritage forms a true living museum, the “Diffuseum”.

Studying the Traces means understanding the history, memory and symbolic value of places.

Explore the map and discover the Traces in the European territory.