EUROPEAN CULTURE

While commonly used and practical, banknotes are also cultural ambassadors that serve to promote the image of their issuing nation. When it came to designing euro banknotes – to be used by over 300 million inhabitants of 12 different countries – the answer to how to create a common identity that would transcend borders was found in the art and the architectural styles that have marked European history.

Windows and doors were chosen to symbolise the spirit of openness and cooperation within the European Union, while bridges represent the ties between the people of Europe, and between Europe and the rest of the world. Drawing on the architectural features of seven European cultural eras (Classical, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo, 19th century “glass and steel” architecture, and modern 20th century architecture), the banknotes seek to portray the values underlying the construction of Europe.
The 50-euro note, which has an orange colour scheme, illustrates the Renaissance period. The front side shows two arched windows with triangular pediments and diamond-shaped balusters that were typical of the period. The reverse shows the barrel vault of a bridge, created by the Austrian graphic designer, Robert Kalina, who designed the first seven euro banknotes.
From 2013 onwards, the first euro notes were gradually replaced with the “Europa” series, which bears the portrait of the mythological princess in two of its security features.