UNESCO fortified churches in Transylvania - a network for "defending" cultural heritage with open "gates" in order to facilitate access to it

Project Promoter: Unitarian Church of Dârjiu
Project Partner: Civitas Foundation for Civil Society
Project duration: 11 months
Total project amount: RON 390,309.88, i.e. EUR 87,973.41
Grant amount: RON 351,818.89, i.e. EUR 79,176.07

Protection strategy materializes in the conservation and restoration work of the frescos inside the church of Dârjiu, which illustrates the legend of King St. László, painted in 1419 and in the creation of an object collection related to folk art, traditional crafts gathered behind the walls of the fortified church in Dârjiu.

“Open gates” are materialized in the creation of a museum exhibition of this collection in the church of Dârjiu. This best practice of Dârjiu will be an example for administrators of other churches, participants of the network. The role of the network is to achieve effective collaboration in restoration, preservation and enhancement of these valuable monuments. In this respect it was signed a protocol of cooperation between the Evangelical Church of Romania and the Unitarian Church of Transylvania.

The overall objective of this project is to safeguard and conserve the cultural heritage for future generations and to facilitate public access to heritage by establishing a network of cooperation between the seven fortified churches in Transylvania, which are part of the World Heritage UNESCO.

The project has the following specific objectives:

• Restoration and conservation of murals inside and outside of the fortified church Dârjiu;
• Development of the local community by improving Dârjiu’s tourist attractiveness by facilitating access through the museum exhibition of cultural heritage to the public;
• Creating conditions for public access and promotion of tangible and intangible heritage and tourism development through the establishment of a network of cooperation and promotion of the seven fortified churches in Transylvania, which are part of the World Heritage UNESCO;
• Strengthening cultural identity of the Hungarian minority through the creation and development of an intercultural museum exhibition inside the church Dârjiu.

Expected results:

• murals of Dârjiu`s church restored and preserved;
• museum exhibition with 4 sections: Intercultural exhibition in the context of Fortified Churches Network; Folk art exhibition; Photo exhibition; Ethnographic and folk art outdoor exhibition;
• a collaboration network between the seven fortified churches in Romania.

Creating the museum exhibition in the church of Dârjiu, network activities such as the production of a booklet which proposes cultural and tourist itineraries and detailed information about the regions and the seven fortified churches, making maps showing tourist itineraries, developing a common promotion site and the production of promotion documentary film contributes to community development through the increase of tourism, to the revitalization of cultural heritage, to the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue and protection of minorities.

Project news/photo gallery

• Executed works, December 2015
• Executed works, September 2015
• Press release regarding the closing of the project UNESCO fortified churches in Transylvania

IMPACT

1. According to the report on completion of works, the total area of murals restored and preserved restored and preserved inside is approximately 45 sq. meters and 5 sq. meters outside.

2. Inside the fortified church was created a museum exhibition with four sections

Expoziție interculturală

Expoziție de artă populară

Expoziție fotografică

Expoziție etnografică

3. A collaboration network was established to promote the seven fortified churches in Transylvania which are part of the World Heritage UNESCO through:

• brochures (RO, EN, HU, GER) proposing cultural-tourist itineraries and containing detailed information about the regions concerned about the 7 churches on the UNESCO World Heritage list (Câlnic, Prejmer, Viscri, Dârjiu, Saschiz, Biertan, Valea Viilor) published;
• maps to promote tourist itineraries published;;
• a webpage, www.1419.ro created;
• a promotion documentary film produced.

Short version of the documentary film:

Long version of the documentary film:

Parts of the documentary film were broadcasted by a television from Hungary.