25 YEARS IN THE SERVICE OF ROMANIAN HERITAGE AND COMMUNITIES
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Thoughts shared by Peter Bond, consultant to Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank Institute
“I should like to congratulate the Pro Patrimonio Foundation (PPF) on its 25th anniversary. Its achievements in preserving and protecting physical and intangible heritage in Romania are numerous and varied. It has been a remarkable force for good and continues to develop.
I was first introduced to PPF in 2014 through the 7 Most Endangered programme of Europa Nostra and the EIB-Institute as I was involved as a consultant to the latter. PPF had nominated the “60 wooden churches in southern Transylvania and northern Oltenia” project to the programme. Despite great difficulties and challenges at every level, PPF has persisted over the years and has by now restored several churches and protected many others. This was undertaken in an exemplary manner with PPF coordinating all the technical work of restoring the structure and the associated art works. It was achieved with limited funds and institutional support and relied much on PPF coordinating a band of enthusiastic volunteers, all under the professional guidance of experts.
A significant example of the work has been the full restoration of the Ursi church in Vâlcea County. The project was recognised as outstanding in the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards in 2021 when it was awarded the Grand Prix in the Conservation Category and also won the Public Choice Award. This is but one example of PPF’s work, but it illustrates well the very worthwhile work carried out by the organisation over many years.
It is important for the preservation of the valuable heritage in Romania that this exceptional work continues and that its relevance is appreciated by the wider public who are encouraged to continue supporting the Pro Patrimonio Foundation“
Photo: PPF archive, Mr. Peter Bond on the Europa Nostra mission, October 2014
Thoughts forwarded by Nicolae Raţiu, President of the Board of Directors – Pro Patrimonio Romania in the year Pro Patrimonio Foundation celebrates its 25th anniversary.
“25 years have felt a very long time for myself as one of Pro Patrimonio’s co-founders. I had imagined that it would have been time enough for more Romanians to recognize the critical importance of our own history and built heritage. Sadly it has not been enough except for a mere handful of financial supporters for whom we are profoundly grateful as we are to those disappointingly few who have become members. A sad reflection of a nation’s pride and respect it has of itself.
Despite these disappointments and lack of adequate funding I am proud to record that PP has achieved some remarkable successes over the years such as the careful and beautiful restoration of the Golescu Villa, the repair of the Enescu home at Mihaileni, establishing a music and arts programme there for the local community, and the Europa Nostra prize-winning renovation of the Ursi church in North Oltenia. Our team of paid and unpaid architects worked tirelessly to achieve all of these successes and our deep gratitude must go to them for fighting so hard to preserve Romania’s extraordinary heritage.
I sincerely hope my message is heard and responded to by more of our readers becoming members and donors”
Nicolae Ratiu MBE
Trustee
Pro Patrimonio
Nicolae Ratiu, co-founder of Pro Patrimonio, welcomed HE the Romanian Ambassador Laura Popescu and HE the Papal Nuntio of the United Kingdom to the magnificent first floor hall filled with guests at the Romanian Cultural Institute in London to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pro Patrimonio.
He went on to describe the early days establishing the Foundation in response to the appalling condition of so many of Romania’s beautiful ancient buildings. Benefitting from founder President Serban Cantacuzino’s extensive network of architects in both the UK and Romania, Administrative Boards were formed and project funds were soon raised.
Support was however difficult to secure in Romania, there being so many other worthy causes around the nation in desperate need. Gradually however properties were acquired via funds raised or by donation, which were then restored and returned to local community use. 4 buildings are completed and several others others are now in process.
Lobbying successes were mentioned, particularly the role played by Pro Patrimonio in blocking the Rosia Montana Gold Corporation’s plans to destroy the ancient Roman era gold mines and risking flooding the area with cyanide laced sand.
Nicolae Ratiu finished with an urgent call for new membership and donations to enable Pro Patrimonio’s essential work to continue.
There followed a most interesting and stimulating talk by heritage specialist and writer Jeremy Musson entitled ‘The Role of Beauty in cultural heritage and conservation.’ With quotations from many architects, Vanbrugh and Serban Cantacuzino amongst them, Jeremy Musson emphasised how beauty was the starting point for not only the designing but the subsequent preservation of historic buildings. John Ruskin was a British artist whose paintings of English country houses shaped perceptions of their historic value.
His quotation from Serban Cantacuzino was: “Pro Patrimonio has a series of on-going projects whose main mission is the conservation, rescue and reactivation of cultural heritage, especially in architecture. The actions focus on palpable projects meant to protect and rehabilitate heritage and on involving and raising awareness in communities regarding their own identity, memory and inherited cultural values. Pro Patrimonio Foundation supports the idea that each citizen is responsible for heritage and that the latter represents an element that shapes social identity. In the view of the Foundation, tradition is not a set of inflexible values, it teaches us to learn about the identity and culture that has shaped us, still models us today and encourages critical thinking adapted in a balanced and practical way to contemporary life.”
Jeremy Musson closed with the words: “the use of a fragile historic house ( the George Enescu house at Mihaileni) as a tool for the education of children and the creation of a wider community of association around it is a typical example of the strategy by which the Pro Patrimonio Foundation has managed to save other monuments and will continue to save others.”
There followed a special concert with Alexandru Tomescu, a longtime supporter of Pro Patrimonio and Dragos Ilie performing a selection of Paganini’s sonatas for violin and guitar from Centone di Sonate, a collection of six sonatas, which Alexandru describes as “miniature operas” and “very spectacular” – which indeed they were. As usual Alexandru interspersed the delightful pieces with fascinating contextual anecdotes.
Afterwards a reception was enjoyed with delicious Romanian food and with excellent wine sponsored by Prince Stirbey wines.
