Maria Callas, Greek by origin but whose life unfolded in European theatres and cities, Ludwig Van Beethoven, author of the Ode to Joy, the European anthem, Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian genius whose final years were spent in France.
Their faces, alongside those of the writer and soldier Miguel De Cervantes, the scientist Marie Curie and the writer Bertha von Suttner, appear on the final shortlist of 10 projects for the new European banknotes, together with those of the other theme: 'Rivers and Birds', which features various species and, on the reverse, the premises of some European institutions. The designs were unveiled at a small ceremony in Frankfurt in the presence of ECB President Christine Lagarde and Italian board member Piero Cipollone, and are the result of a selection process from 1,200 proposals received in recent months.
Twenty-five years after their launch, the banknotes are thus getting a new look, moving beyond the 'ecumenical' choice of generic bridges and architecture that was made at the time so as not to stir up jealousies. Now, aside from the natural themes, the focus is on national figures who are nonetheless in some way present in the shared cultural heritage of all Europeans.
The process of redesigning the paper notes, which began in 2021, has thus reached its final stage. From today until 21 September, the ECB has opened a survey for citizens on its website, where they will be able to view the various options and express their preferences. The final choice will be made by the governing council before the end of the year. Following this approval, technicians will begin the actual development and testing, given that banknotes are now a highly technological product incorporating various anti-counterfeiting and anti-wear features. Italy plays its part, and at the plant on Via Tuscolana in Rome, designed by architect Nervi, millions of notes are produced every year according to the quotas established by the Eurosystem. In their traditional shades, from reddish to blue and green, the new denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 200 euros are based on well-known portraits of the figures, reinterpreted in a contemporary, more stylised manner.
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