Interregional cooperation project Cultural Heritage Network

1. AER Bureau meeting & General Assembly Udine, 7-9th November 2007 Ref. agenda: VII.3.9 original in English FOR INFORMATION Interregional cooperation projectCultural Heritage Network Sf.Gheorghe, 18 August 2007

2. Covasna county

3. COVASNA COUNTYCULTURAL CROSSING SPACE • Multi-cultural landscape • More cultures living together in the same area. • The result being a complex and strong local identity

4. Cultural heritage • Component of historical identity • Heritage buildings form an integrated system • Characterize the landscape, impress the collective memory

5. Covasna county’s cultural heritage I. Szekler-Hungarian church fortresses These strongholds were built as a result of increasing danger of Turkish conquest since the 15th century. These church fortresses were regular ground-planned buildings with defensive towers at the corners. • Roman-Catholic Church-Ghelinta, valuable due to its age (1245), architectural style (late Romanesque) and inside wall paintings (painted in 1330); • Reformed Church-Sfantu Gheorghe (14th-15th century); • Church Fortress-Ghidfalau (13th century), in Romantic style; • Fortified Church-Biborteni (15th century), it was painted in Italian Renaissance style, preserving original fragments of the fresco; • Fortified Church-Olteni (15th century); • Fortified Church-Baraolt (1569); • Church-Aita Mare (1520-1541). • Church-Belin

6. Szekler-Hungarian church fortresses

7. Land of mansions • Is the place of the majority of noble family mansions due to specific socio—historical reasons. • Most buildings are uninhabited, so they are getting more and more uncared-for, others are populated by elderly people on low incomes, incapable of protecting the substance of the buildings they own.

8. Land of mansions

9. Historical vestiges • Ruins of Balvanyos castle (13th century) • Ruins of Ika castle (13th century)

10. The problems • Historical buildings are underused, not efficiently valorized, in degradation • Causes: • lack of promotion, • abandonment, • scarce resources (lack in public or private funds) • changes in life-style • property issues

11. How could we preserve heritage and how could we promote it? • Identifying and listing items of heritage significance • Elaborating of an integrated strategy for conservation and development of heritage assets and sites • Elaborating a Best Practice Guide on using Cultural Assets for Place Marketing

12. EU financing programme • INTERREG IV C - The Interregional Cooperation Programme enables cooperation between regional and local authorities from different countries in the EU27 • Authorities exchange and transfer their experiences and jointly develop approaches and instruments that improve the effectiveness of regional development

13. Project title Cultural Heritage Network A network to identify and exchange innovative strategies for preserving cultural heritage, traditions and identity

14. Project objective • The identification of the methodologies of restoration for each material • The creation of a manual of good practices of restoration • Promotion of the territories involved in wide spreading the project as much as possible at internal and external level • Training and information seminars • Exchange of experiences and know-how between the partners in matters of restoration and promotion of their heritage • Creation of an European network of restoration

15. Project activities Cultural Heritage Network I. Management and coordination Evaluation, Dissemination of results II. Identification of the elements of local identity and the cultural assets III. Development and implementation of innovative strategies for preserving cultural heritage, traditions and identity IV. Elaborating a Best Practice Guide on using cultural assets for place marketing demonstration activities (studies on specific items of cultural heritage) marketing strategy for attracting tourists

16. Target groups • Planners and planning bodies • Architects • Local authorities • Universities, schools • Cultural foundations • Research institutes • Private and public investment trusts • Private owners, public organizations

17. Methodology • Determine the present situation by gathering information form all of the partners • Exchange of experiences among partners to learn about the different restoration methods used • Determine the property and materials to be restored in each region • Draft of a “restoration good practices manual” • Design of the cultural itineraries • Transfer of know how to all partners and any other organisation interested

18. Expected results • Exchanges of good practices between the participants of the project • Improve the knowledge of the restoration methodologies by each partners • Detect gaps between the real necessities of the restoration and the present policies • Transfer of know-how between the partners • Creation of routes promoting the restored heritage

19. Budget • Total: 1.500.000 EUR • Grant: Max 75 - 85% • Cofinancing: 25 – 15 %

20. Potential partners • Covasna county – potential Lead partner • Covasna county’s partner regions Baranya, Heves, Veszprem (Hu) Varmland (S) Maine-et-Loire (Fr) Devon (GB) • Office of the Carinthian Government (A) • Abruzzo Region (It) • Brasov, Harghita, Mures, Maramures (Ro) • Pazardijk and Vratsa (Bg) • AER • Other interested partners

21. Further steps • Define clearly the project proposal • Negotiate the partnership • from the part of Covasna County who will be involved (cultural institutes, architectures, county council, project team) - discussions • send project proposal to the partners, identify their roles • negotiations and meetings • define human and financial resources • Schedule and Programme Project Activities • Contents/description of activities • Logical programming • Distribution of the responsibilities and tasks • Define the budget • Project elaboration

22. Other possibilities for fundings at national level ERDF - Regional Operative Programme Restoration and sustainable valorization of cultural heritage and setting up/ modernization of related infrastructure EARDF (European Agricultural and Rural Development Fund) To preserve the local cultural heritage, in a manner which can contribute positively to the social, educational opportunities and also to the safeguard of the nation’s cultural heritage.

23. Conclusions • Taking into consideration the know-how of the more experienced EU member states it would be helpful and useful to transfer these knowledge to the less experienced regions • Transfer of know-how of experts in architecture, built heritage • Place marketing strategy for the less-known regions, creation of cultural tourism routes • Interreg programme – cooperation with more experienced regions

24. Thank you for your attention!