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The International Network for Traditional Building Architecture & Urbanism has organised a one week walking and drawing tour in Transylvania, Romania. The trip focued on the so-called Saxon area, located in the centre of Transylvania, which is very rich in traditional architecture. As part of the tour, the participants visited Sighisoara, a medieval city listed on UNESCO Heritage List.
The Itinerary
The trip was designed both for foreign and Romanian tourists and it was coordinated by one of INTBAU's members, Catalin Rata. Catalin works for Cultural Travel & Tours Agency, based in Bucharest, Romania. Cultural Travel & Tours specializes in heritage programmes.
Its aim was to provide visitors with a cultural insight into Romanian traditions, while presenting them contemporary Romania and the daily life in these Saxon villages.
The following Saxon villages were included in the trip: Biertan, Richis, Copsa Mare, Noul Sasesc, Rondola, Laslea, Malancrav, Floresti, Cris, Stejareni and Saes. Those places offer a lovely landscape and, at the same time, a different perspective of the day to day rural life.
Nearly all the Saxon villages are crossed by a river and defended by a fortified Church. Some of those churches are 700 years old, unfortunately very rarely used in the past decade. The history of the place is rich and has its own moments of glory and decline. The area used to be prosperous when the Saxon community lived there. However, the Saxons left the area in massive numbers after the collapse of communism in Romania, in December 1989. Many of those villages are poor now but they kept their old charm.
Drawing instruction
Whether you are a beginner or just want to brush up on your technique, Transylvania provides a thousand opportunities and inspirations to artists. Drawing also helps people to really see what they are looking at, and it is a good way to make contact with local people.
Martin Shortis of The Prince's Drawing School has donated his time to provide on-demand instruction to tour participants.
Starting in 1987 following study at the Ruskin School of Drawing and the Royal Academy Schools, Martin Shortis worked for several years on large commissioned drawings of complex scenes drawn from life. His clients included the National Trust and Distillers, and subjects ranged from building sites, renovations and storm-damaged gardens to museums, churches, a factory, a newspaper office and someone’s kitchen.
Since 1992 Martin has taught drawing and painting from observation both in the life room and outside. Initially this was with the Prince of Wales’s Institute of Architecture and since 2001 with The Prince’s Drawing School in Shoreditch, where he has helped develop the etching facility. Martin continues to teach life drawing, etching and a class drawing large interior spaces around London.
In the past 12 years he has participated in various architectural summer schools and painting trips in connection with The Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture and The Prince's Drawing School, and also with the University of Notre Dame and the Department of Architecture at the University of Aachen. Martin continues to draw, print and paint, keep a sketchbook and occasionally to show and sell work.
Cost
€299 for Romanian citizens who are resident in Romania.
€449 for the other participants.
Services included: international train transport (Budapest – Sighisoara and return) or local transport (transfer by car from Bucharest airport to Bucharest train station and then by train to Sighisoara and return), accommodation in rooms with 2, 3, 4 beds in rural guesthouses and at a 3 star hotel in Sighisoara, full board (including picnic lunches), local transport by cart/minibus, entrance fees, Study Leader/ Tutor and English-speaking guide services.
INTBAU Romania
INTBAU started its work in Romania over two years ago with a workshop in one of those villages, called Laslea. Since then we developed a network of Romanian members formed of architects, students, academics and general supporters. We run a number of projects, particularly in Laslea as this village is one of the poorest with the majority of its population being unemployed.
Recently we legally established INTBAU Romania and opened an Information Centre in Laslea. The centre can be used, free of charge, by all not for profit organisations set up in Romania or operating in Romania, which promote traditional architecture, eco-tourism and organic agriculture.
Our work in Romania aims to help the local community in preserving and restoring the very specific features of the Saxon traditional architecture. We intend to open a Training Centre in one of the biggest Saxon houses of Laslea village. The house number 344 is being restored by the Mihai Eminescu Trust, which has been operating in the area for a number of years. At the moment both our charities are involved in restoring one of the biggest houses of Laslea, located very centrally, and envisaged to host the Training and Information Centre.
The Training Centre will be opened to all those who would like to learn how to restore by traditional methods the Saxon buildings, being very welcomed trainees from Romania and abroad. The centre will be addressed in particular to the local people who lost their jobs as a result of the economic collapse of the factories. We hope that this initiative will contribute substantially to the revitalisation of the traditional skills, completely neglected under the communism.
If you are interested please contact:
Catalin Rata
CT&T Travel Agency
Tel. +40 744 373 135
office@cttours.ro
www.cttours.ro
Dr Matthew Hardy
Secretary, INTBAU
The Prince's Foundation Building
19-22 Charlotte Road
London EC2A 3SG
UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7613 8520
Fax: +44 (0)20 7613 8599
© INTBAU 2001-8
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