Preserving Europe’s forgotten smells: Odeuropa, co-led by UCL ISH, receives Europa Nostra Award

What is the Odeuropa project?

Odeuropa is a pioneering Europe-focused research project that explores the role of smell in cultural heritage, revealing how scents shape collective memory and identity. Combining artificial intelligence with historical sources, the project developed innovative tools and methods to document and present olfactory heritage from 1600-1920, opening-up new ways to experience and interpret the past. UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage researchers led the heritage science and value work package, creating innovative AI tools and resources that support museums and heritage organisations in interpreting scent-based heritage.

What is Europa Nostra and what does the award mean?

Europa Nostra was founded on 29 November 1963 in Paris and it aims to ensure that cultural heritage is celebrated and protected through its advocacy, and the awards it gives to certain cultural heritage initiatives. Covering over 40 countries, Europa Nostra is recognised as the largest and the most representative heritage network in Europe and maintains close relations with the European Union, the Council of Europe, UNESCO and other international bodies. The European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards were launched in 2002 by the European Commission and they identify and promote best practices in the conservation and enhancement of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, stimulate the trans-frontier exchange of knowledge throughout Europe, increase public awareness and appreciation of Europe’s cultural heritage and encourage further excellent initiatives through the power of example.

Who were the collaborators on the project?

Coordinated by the Humanities Cluster of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), and involving 35 researchers from six countries (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and the UK), Odeuropa brought together expertise in history, heritage science, museology, and digital humanities. A key part of the technical expertise within the team focused on using computing and AI technology that allows computers to search webpages, ‘see’ and read information, and understand the language and meaning of that information. Funded by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Union (€2.8 million) and carried out between 2021 and 2023, the project developed standards, resources, and practical methods for museums and researchers to identify, document, and present smell in heritage contexts.

What is the importance of smell to heritage?

Smell and olfactory (i.e. smell-related) practices are part of our shared cultural identity and collective memory, and they enhance our understanding of both tangible and intangible heritage. The project’s ambition was to position smells and olfactory experiences as an essential part of heritage, tracing how they evoke emotions, bring history to life, and create multi-sensory connections to the past. The awarding jury noted:

Odeuropa’s multidisciplinary research into the new field of olfactory heritage fills a gap in scientific knowledge and standards and creates new tools and data to support future research into historical scent and heritage.

A core innovation of the project was the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to identify and analyse smell-related references in more than 43,000 historical images and 167,000 books, across six European languages and four centuries (from the period 1600-1920). This resulted in the European Olfactory Knowledge Graph with 2.5 million smell experiences, which now supports research in literature, food history, health, and community engagement. The project’s methodology included identifying olfactory motifs in visual art, the language(s) we use and the way we and others live and have lived, making it possible for institutions to bring smell into their interpretation of existing museum collections.

What are the tools produced by the project?

The developed key digital resources include the Odeuropa Smell Explorer (the first database to search heritage by smell), the Encyclopaedia of Smell History and Heritage; and an Olfactory Storytelling Toolkit for museum professionals developed with perfumers and heritage science experts to enable the presentation of historical scents in museum exhibitions (you can see links for these facilities below, and try them out yourself). Best practice guidelines, feedback and multilingual resources were factored into the implementation of the project’s results at every stage of the project, all the way from the initial research to the education and public programming that publicised the results of the project.

What comes next for the project?

Odeuropa’s results and impact have been far-reaching, with practical applications adopted by museums and heritage sites across Europe and beyond. The project held a Smell Culture Fair in 2023 in Amsterdam, an international event bringing together museums, perfumers, artists, scientists, and the public to explore multisensory storytelling. Smell-based storytelling inspired new exhibitions and learning tools, and policy guidance, and was featured at the EU Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. The project’s educational impact also included the training of more than 760 students and engagement with diverse communities – gathering ‘nose knowledge’ and local perspectives. The AI and digital resources developed by the project remain available for researchers, museums, and policymakers, supporting new collaborations and practical applications. The jury noted in conclusion that:

The project’s educational initiatives, including a PhD course and strong dissemination strategies, effectively support the integration of scent into museum practice.

Part of 20 in 20: Twenty stories over 20 weeks celebrating 20 years of the ISH MSc, showcasing the people behind our teaching, research and impact shaping change worldwide. Find out more about the campaign, and other ways in which we're celebrating on the anniversary page.