25 YEARS IN THE SERVICE OF ROMANIAN HERITAGE AND COMMUNITIES
≡
The first edition of the project “Concerts on the Siret River”, initiated by Pro Patrimonio Foundation, took place between 18-21 August 2021 in three localities on the left bank of the Siret river: Mihăileni, Vârfu Câmpului and Călinești.
To mark 140 years since the composer’s birth, four concerts took place in the George Enescu House in Mihăileni – the starting point of this initiative.
On 18 August, the first concert of the series was performed by the Outis String Quartet. The four young musicians performed an original programme comsisting of compositions by George Enescu and by the quartet members.
August 19 was celebrated with chamber music concerts by pianist Raluca Știrbăț, soprano Simina Ivan and cellist Rudolf Leopold (Austria), as well as a concert by young soloists, students of the National Art Colleges “Octav Băncilă” in Iasi and “George Enescu” in Bucharest, students of the University of Arts “George Enescu” in Iasi and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.
Also on August 19, the album “The complete Enescu musical works for cello and piano” with Rudolf Leopold and Raluca Știrbăț, released by Paladino music in Vienna in August 2021 and recorded in the showroom of the famous Austrian piano factory Bösendorfer, was released.
The surprise element of this series of cultural events was the presence of the Shukar Band (from the village of 10 Prăjini) on the evening of August 20, in Enescu’s courtyard in Mihăileni.
On the same evening of August 20, the Moruzi Mansion in Vârfu Câmpului hosted a concert with a very special repertoire, extended like a musical arc over time from Bach to 20th century atonal music. The programme opened with J.S. Bach’s Solo Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, performed by the young cellist Smaranda Iftime (2nd year student at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki) and continued with works by Paul Hindemith, Luciano Berio, Giulio Viozzi performed by the violin duo Les Violons d’Ingres from Italy – Claudia Cancellotti and Erica Scherl.
The closing evening for the “Concerts on the Siret River” took place on August 21 at the Miclescu Mansion in Călinești with a program of lieder and arias performed by soprano Simina Ivan, pianist Raluca Știrbăț and cellist Rudolf Leopold.
“We asked ourselves: why do these neoclassical manors exist along the Siret river? Probably because the owners were refined people and who could afford to do very interesting things here. With this project, the Pro Patrimonio Foundation has initiated a novel way of rediscovering the Siret river and to bring together geography and culture in a new concept that is internationally accepted, namely the cultural landscape. What does cultural landscape mean? It means at the same time community, therefore us, culture, natural landscape and heritage” said Șerban Sturdza, President of Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
During the event there was a premiere screening of the documentary film “The Rebirth of the Enescu House in Mihăileni”, directed by Francisc Mraz, which presents the stages of the restoration process initiated by Pro Patrimonio Foundation and its introduction into the cultural and educational circuit with the help of local communities.
During the four days of events, 30 musicians performed in front of an audience of over three hundred people.
During the same period, landscape architect Nicolas Triboi carried out an anthropological and landscape expedition on the Siret River, aiming to use drawings, sound captures and dialogues with local people to create a modern x-ray of the river’s condition.
“Along the way I’ve been amazed. I discovered a living river, free of petty waste, clean, worth rediscovering and protecting, with odourless water and therefore without sources of pollution and with extraordinary river dynamics. This river is alive.” said Nicolas Triboi at the end of the field experience.
.
“Concerts on the Siret” is a project initiated and designed by Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
Sponsors: Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații, Fundația eMAG, Elsaco, Vestra Industry, Formens, Electroalfa, Hidroplasto, Five Continents Group Botoșani, Lacto Solomonescu. Media partners: Jurnal FM
Project organized with the support of the “George Enescu” National University of Arts in Iasi, the “George Enescu” International Society in Vienna, Cărturești, the I-portunus program and Mihăileni Town Hall.
Photos Ionut Iosub
.
Jurnal Fm, Concerte pe Siret 18 august 2021 – Şerban Sturdza interview
TVR Iasi, emisiunea “Vară pentru voi”, 9 august 2021, editor Anca Medeleanu – Şerban Sturdza and Raluca Ştirbăţ interview
TVR Iaşi, emisiunea “Vară pentru voi”, 19 august 2021, editor Andreea Ştiliuc – Raluca Ştirbăţ interview
Botoșani Exclusiv TV, reportaj Concerte pe Siret, 18 august 2021
Adevarul, Concerte pe Siret şi muzica lui Enescu, în conace din Botoşani
Botoşăneanul, ”Concerte pe Siret” – 140 de ani de la nașterea lui George Enescu
.
Read also
“Concerts on the Siret River”. Celebrating 140 years since the birth of George Enescu
Let the sound out, we have DIY instruments!
For the next 2 days, Andreea and Sorin are the musical hosts for sound explorations at Mihăileni. Today’s workshops interrogated the origins of sound, the path of instruments and the relationships between both sound and corporeality and between humans.
12 different types of instruments were drawn and built, using mostly wood as building material.
The orchestra of voices and instruments was thus tuned for the joint Sunday group meeting.
We thank the Mihăileni autumn for its understanding and postponing the rains until after the creative and play programs were completed.
The morning wakes us with a coldness reminiscent of early winter rather than late summer, and the rains insist. Yet no one skipped the landscape workshops.
Children participate practically and creatively in making herb pots, and the botanical prints far exceed the trainees’ expectations.
The weather allows us a portion of play in the glade and practice for Sunday championships.
We change the series to give as many children as possible the opportunity to take part in our workshops. We resume the activities of the first two days with 20 more children.
Even though autumn seems to have settled in full swing in Mihăileni, with cold temperatures and rain, the workshops go on outdoors in the tent, with more protective clothing and hot tea on the go.
Playtime after craft classes is the most successful warm-up remedy, and the glade across the road the best host for such activities. We eluded the rain during today’s workshops as well.
Pots, prints and a storm
On this day we set out to go home with a part of the Enescu House garden and some of its colours.
The children built their own wooden pots, equipped with waterproof foil, sand-pearl soil and 4 baby plants: rosemary, lavender, mint and sage. They each made a painted face dedicated to their drawing experiments, the figure of George Enescu as a friend of plants.
They imprinted big and small bags with local petals and leaves, using boiling and hammering techniques. They then experimented with some more exotic flavours such as turmeric and coffee and pigmented another series of bags.
However, the sport and play practice was interrupted by a fairytale thunderstorm which reminded us that autumn in Mihăileni comes much sooner than in Bucharest.
After all the activities related to preparing the courtyard and then hosting the concerts, it was the children’s turn to have a week dedicated to them. Yesterday five trainers worked with a team of 23 children from the local community.
In the first workshop they prepared a plant press construction. The press involved the actual wooden construction, the preparation of cardboard and paper inner modules for the positioning of the plants and a creativity competition in decorating the wooden covers of the press with pyrography and glued plants.
In the second workshop, the children learnt how to make an herbarium notebook by going through all its stages
After lunch the opposite glade hosted them for sports training in bedminton, volleyball and archery as well as a well-deserved rest in the shade.
.
“The School of Landscape, Art and Sound” is a Pro Patrimonio Foundation cultural project co-financed by AFCN. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grantee.
UiPath Foundation is a Pro patrimonio Foundation paartner in the program “Academy of Music and Education for Children” which has been running from the beginning of 2020 at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni.
Project Partners: Botoşăneanul, Radio România Muzical, Revista Zeppelin, National Geographic, AsoP, Filiala Teritoriala Vest, Societatea Internaţională George Enescu din Viena, Fundația Remember Enescu.
.
Also read:
The School of Landscape, Art and Sound at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni
Worksite diary – Landscape and Art Workshop
From the 18th to 21st August, 2021, Pro Patrimonio Foundation launches the first edition of the event “Concerts on the Siret River” which will take place in area north of the Siret River, Botoșani County. This year the concerts will take place at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni, the Miclescu Mansion in Călinești and the Moruzi Mansion in Vârfu Câmpului. “Concerts on the Siret River” wishes to become an annual project, increasingly broad in terms of cultural offer, venues, notoriety, types of events and aims to attract a regional, national and foreign audience for a sustainable development, based on the local values and tangible and intangible heritage. The beauty of nature, the diversity of the architectural heritage, and the traditions of the region can support the development of rural areas and place them on the tourist, economic and cultural map of Romania.
The concerts will be performed by pianist Raluca Știrbăț, president of the International Society “George Enescu” in Vienna, initiator and supporter of the project to save George Enescu’s house in Mihăileni, cellist Rudolf Leopold (Austria), soprano Simina Ivan (Austria, Romania), the OUTIS Quartet, the violin duo Les Violons d´Ingres (Italy), Smaranda Iftime (cello) and the Shukar Fanfare (Romania). A special concert will be performed by young soloists, students of music colleges and universities in Iași, Timișoara, Bucharest and Helsinki. The project will include a screening of the documentary film “The Rebirth of the Enescu House in Mihăileni”, directed by Francisc Mraz.
The concerts aim to integrate the Enescu House in Mihăileni into the local and national cultural and educational circuit. During the chamber music concert on 19 August at the Enescu House, the album George Enescu – Complete works for cello and piano will be launched, which has just been released by the Viennese label Paladino music, featuring Rudolf Leopold and Raluca Știrbăț.
“To the north of the Siret River lies collection of elements that do not realize their own value. After doing a study on the development of tourism in Moldova, we found that the values of these places are more diverse and complex and that an overview could strengthen the cultural fabric of the area. This gave rise to the idea that music together with the cultural landscape could be coagulating elements, an important concept that Romania is trying to develop in all heritage policies. Music, architecture and cultural landscape are beginning to link a territory in which communities and people become effective actors. This led to the solution that Pro Patrimonio, who owns the Enescu House and has restored it, should create together with the people of the community, the town halls and local personalities a meeting point which the pandemic has complicated. What we initially thought of as a punctual and broad event had to be divided and transformed it into a triple event under the title “Concerts on the Siret River” over four days, fifty kilometres, from Mihăileni to Vârfu Câmpului and Călinești” said Șerban Sturdza, President of Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
“A chic little town and cosmopolitan border point of the Austrian Empire, Enescu’s Mihăileni preserves memories and moments more than precious, even decisive for the composer’s destiny. Built in the mid-19th century by his maternal ancestors – the distinguished Cosmovici family of priests and intellectuals, men with remarkable musical interests – the house once belonged to an economic and cultural area of great effervescence which is hard to imagine from our present perspective. The Pro Patrimonio’s “Concerts on the Siret River” project aims – by combining heritage and cultural-educational actions, where music plays a central role – to revitalize this region by attracting and involving local communities and start acting by raising awareness in the extremely complex and diverse potential of this region. We look forward to a large and enthusiastic audience, as well as supporters and donors who we are convinced will understand the value of a space with unique values in the Romanian landscape and beyond” said pianist Raluca Știrbăț, President of the International George Enescu Society Vienna.
Enescu House, Mihăileni
17.00
Project “Concerts on the Siret River” and the George Enescu House in Mihăileni presentation for the press
19.00
Chamber concert by the OUTIS Quartet. David Ursei (violin), Francisco Ramonda (violin), Mihai Todoran (viol) and Victor Sandu (cello).
20.30
Premiere screening of the documentary film “Renaissance of the Enescu House in Mihăileni”, directed by Francisc Mraz.
Free admission.
Enescu House, Mihăileni.
Concerts organized to celebrate the 140th anniversary of George Enescu’s birth.
18.00
Concert of young pianists, students of the “Octav Băncilă” and “George Enescu” National Art Colleges in Iași and Bucharest, students of the “George Enescu” University of Arts in Iasi and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki: Tudor Jora, Irina Petrescu, Matei Dumitrescu, Mateea Bâzgă, Ana-Karina Voion, Mario Lucaci, Viviana Țaga, Carmina Vidrașcu, Beatrice Popliuc, Cosmin Gavrilă, Smaranda Iftime (cello). Extremely promising musical talents who have already proved their abilities in numerous national and international competitions, they will perform works of great difficulty from the Romantic and Romanian repertoire.
Ora 20.00
Chamber concert. Guests: Raluca Știrbăț (piano), Simina Ivan (soprano) and Rudolf Leopold (cello, Austria).
Launch of the album: George Enescu – The complete works for cello and piano
The programme of the two concerts will include works by George Enescu, Béla Bartók, Franz Liszt, Serghei Rahmaninov, Claude Debussy.
Free admission.
George Enescu’s house in Mihăileni, Botoșani county, a historical monument owned by Pro Patrimonio Foundation, was saved from collapse and underwent a seven-year restoration process. This is where the composer spent his childhood and adulthood, completing many of his masterpieces. It was the last place he visited before leaving the country for good in September 1946. The house belonged to George Enescu’s mother, Maria Cosmovici, and was built by her parents most likely in the mid-19th century. Today, the house is given back to the local community as a cultural and educational centre. In 2020 the restoration works were completed, a moment marked also by the inauguration of one of Pro Patrimonio Foundation’s most ambitious projects, the “Academy for the Study of Music and Sound”.
Moruzi Manor, Vârfu Câmpului
18.00
Chamber concert. Guests: Les Violons d´Ingres (violin duo, Italy) and Smaranda Iftime (cello)
Access by invitation only.
The duo “Les violons d´Ingres” was born in 1997 from the meeting of violinists Claudia Cancellotti and Erica Scherl, both students of maestro Enzo Porta. Since then, the duo has performed in various Italian and foreign cities such as Bologna, Florence, Perugia, Windhoek, Jerusalem, Ramallah and others. The participation of the two musicians is due to the support received from the European I-portunus programme.
The Moruzi Mansion in Vârfu Câmpului is close to the Siret River and is set in a park-like courtyard made up of a natural reserve of ancient oak trees. The beauty of the place is quite special and can create a unique setting for cultural events: concerts, workshops, conferences.
Enescu House, Mihăileni
19.00
Shukar Band Concert.
Free admission.
The Shukar Fanfare from the village of Zece Prăjini, Iași, has distinguished itself by its specifically Balkan tones, the musical style being associated with that of Goran Bregovic. In 1993, the band’s music was launched abroad by the former sovereign of Romania, Michael I, visit to Montreux. With over 25 years of activity, under the guidance of the leader Costică Panțîru, the band members have travelled all the continents, giving concerts in Europe, Asia, America, and even being for a period (2006 – 2009) employees of the Zingaro Theatre in Paris. They can boast of tours in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Brussels.
Miclescu Manor, Călinești
19.00
Recital of lieder and arias. Guests: Simina Ivan (soprano) and Raluca Știrbăț (piano)
Access by invitation only.
The Miclescu Ensemble from Călinești is, at this moment, probably the most authentic restored manor house in Romania, a model of relationship with the local community. The manor was a model of a modern agricultural farm and one of the oldest and most beautiful manor houses in Romania during the interwar period. Nationalised and destroyed after the advent of communism, the manor was recovered by its direct descendant, Mr. Radu Miclescu, and restored with care and dedication. For 15 years, the Miclescu Manor has become a unique artistic space, a successful agricultural farm, an educational restoration site, a welcoming place after its inauguration for intellectuals, artists, journalists and politicians. The social and philanthropic imprint of the Miclescu family also extended to the church at Cervicești and, in general, to the local community, for which it created jobs and provided aid in various forms.
All activities take place outdoors.
On August 18, 19 and 20, from 18.00 and until the end of the events of each evening in the garden of Enescu House in Mihăileni, Cărturești Bookstore will organize a book stand from which books of literature, architecture, music, art and children’s literature can be purchased.
*
Concerts on the Siret is a project initiated and designed by Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
Sponsors: Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații, eMAG Foundation, Elsaco, Vestra Industry, Formens, Electroalfa, Hidroplasto, Five Continents Group Botoșani, Lacto Solomonescu.
Media partner: Jurnal FM
Project organized with the support of the “George Enescu” National University of Arts in Iasi, the “George Enescu” International Society in Vienna, Carturesti, the I-portunus programme and the Mihăileni Municipality.
Pro Patrimonio Foundation has been intervening for over 20 years in almost all regions of Romania to revitalise and strengthen disadvantaged communities remote from areas of progress. The aim is to re-establish community identity links for a built heritage that is currently abandoned, has lost its role, and, as far as possible, to reintroduce it into the economic and cultural circuit. Actions focus on practical education projects, aimed at rehabilitating and re-functionalising the historic heritage, as well as community involvement and awareness of their own identity. As a non-profit non-governmental organisation with branches in Romania, UK and France, the Foundation runs projects designed to save heritage, educate and raise awareness regarding the importance of cultural heritage.
Read also How our “Concerts on the Siret River” were
Epilogue.
Even if Tuesday and Wednesday were the days of travel for volunteers and the Pro Patrimonio team on both days we worked hard to clean the place and complete the main path. We relied exclusively on the help of older children from Mihăileni, whom we thank, once again, for an exemplary involvement.
The last touches of this year’s garden arrangement will be made during the week of the landscape and sound workshops, August 23 – 29, together with our 100% reliable team from Mihăileni: the children’s community.
We leave free the place for Concerts on Siret, a new project conceived and initiated by Pro Patrimonio.
We saved the last day of summer school for planting on the side of the house and cleaning the back bank.
Once they know us in the community, the children of Mihăileni cannot imagine not helping us. So we have been working with some of them today.
We ended the entire program with a surprising and comprehensive four-hour tour of Mihăileni with the local history teacher.
We are glad to have been able to leave behind a brighter face of the garden and a better context for future cultural events.
Sunday – day for rest
After a week full of adventures, almost daily rain, searching, hiking and hard work, we chose a Sunday with somewhat more relaxing activities.
In the morning we went to see the pulse of the Mihăileni market.
Until noon we gave free control over botanical print experiments personalising the site shirts with leaves and flowers.
In the afternoon we were welcomed for a special visit to the Miclescu Manor at Călinești where we were loaded with stories of the place and photos of the garden and the house.
We collected sights from our trips, vegetables from the greenhouses in Mihăileni and ended the day with an overnight visit to a village wedding.
Communitary Saturday – call to “clacă” (work gathering).
The yard was cleaned, decorated and prepared all morning to receive the visit of the Mihăileni villagers coming to attend the work gathering. Together with the village boy-helpers we “sprinkled” the planting beds with pine wood chips, put all the plant pots in place, edged the current “pool” and the future main walkway with Corten sheeting and prepared the botanical print workshop.
Around 25 children and a few adults joined the afternoon planting event. With many of the children we had the joy of seeing each other again after last year’s workshops. We were pleasantly surprised to see the children as enthusiastic and full of life as they were in 2020. The race of “who planted the most plants” was hard to contain. Good thing the team kept up with the kids’ fast pace. You could see the results of the two-hour teamwork in front of the house in ornamental plants and shrubs along the fence.
The reward for the labours of the land came in the form of pies, doughnuts and a musical recital by a nearby children’s group.
We squeezed the last of the children’s strength in a hammer concert to print their souvenir bags.
End of the day with a round of tag in the garden, watering plants and stories on the porch. That’s enough for today. We look forward to a Sunday of relaxation and artistic experimentation.
A day as intense as can be in Mihăileni!
We depend on mechanised machinery to make our garden work more efficient and to fit into a particularly tight timeframe. Yesterday’s storm blocked machine access to the garden in the morning and even by midday we were anxious whether the excavator tracks would be able to scrape through the muddy site.
Luck and the machine users’ goodwill were on our side and we managed to fill the drainage ditch today.
Along with this big bump, we prepared the ground for Saturday’s upcoming plantings and welcomed the new family of decorative and climbing plants as well as the bags of mulch to our yard.
The future gravel driveway has now become a geotextile “pool” and is temporarily set up as an amphitheatre space for the “clacă” concert.
The evening of this full day also sees the “christening” of the new drainage system with a heavy rain, in the spirit of what we are already used to these days.
Ground mounts decrease in some parts but increase in other areas of the garden.
Storm code, mud pools and geotextile paths through the house and garden.
This day was not without adventures for the Enescu House team either. The work was largely split between those levelling the kerbs of the new gravel driveway and starting to dig the soil for the future decorative areas in front of the house, and those working ‘in the trenches’ on the house drainage ditch.
Along with manual work with shovel, spade, sledgehammer and foil preparation the excavator completed and helped us for a good part of the tasks.
Unforeseen events are always present, but accompanied by good humour, good food from Siret and help from neighbours.
The landscaping site has started!
Even though the full team was to meet up only in the afternoon, the work started in earnest.
One of the major works planned for this week is the resurfacing of the main driveway. We want a generous gravelled area in front of the house to better showcase it and more appropriately host local educational and cultural events.
So we cleared the old stone kerb path and the landscape volunteers from Cluj laid out the new path.
Although we were to receive the mechanical help of the excavator only tomorrow, the local crew surprised us with time to spare for the work and we started digging for both the new driveway and the new drainage ditch for the house in first day. The site “got ennobled” along the way with mounds of dug dirt and deep mud left from the rain. The team hangs on tight!
The three volunteers arrive from Bucharest during the day so the next day we will be more prepared to fight for the new Enescu House garden.
.
The diary documentation through texts and photos was done by Andreea Machidon, coordinator of the Heritage Education program for Pro Patrimonio Foundation.
Work team: Andreea Machidon, Mihai Puica, Diana Teodora Vacaru, Adina Ispas, Mihaela Lungu, Adina Rachita, Ana Maria Pravicencu, Ruben Mardaru şi Marcu (+2y).
Details about the School of Landscape, Art and Sound at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni
.
“School of Landscape, Art and Sound” is a Pro Patrimonio Foundation cultural project, co-financed by AFCN. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or the way its results may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grantee.
UiPath Foundation is a Pro patrimonio Foundation partner in the program “The Children’s Academy of Music and Education” which has been running from the beginning of 2020 at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni.
Project parteners: Botosaneanul, Radio România Muzical, Revista Zeppelin, National Geographic, AsoP, Filiala Teritoriala Vest, Societatea Internaţională George Enescu din Viena, Fundația Remember Enescu.
On 27 July, during the 44th extended session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the Rosia Montana mining landscape was inscribed simultaneously on the World Heritage List and on the List of World Heritage in Danger. On this occasion, Sneška Quaedvlieg – Mihailovic, Secretary General of Europa Nostra, delivered a powerful statement, strongly applauding this decision and recalling the support of Europa Nostra to this campaign, also with the support of the European Investment Bank Institute, during the past decade. Europa Nostra is also preparing a congratulatory letter addressed to the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who himself welcomed the inclusion of the mining landscape in these important lists.
“On behalf of our large movement of civil society committed to cultural and natural heritage, from all over Europe, including Romania, Europa Nostra congratulates very warmly the State Party and its citizens for the inscription of Rosia Montana mining landscape both on the World Heritage List and simultaneously on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
This is a true milestone in the wide mobilization of heritage stakeholders to ensure a sustainable future for this exceptional cultural landscape. We can only applaud the Romanian authorities for their determination to stand by their cultural and natural heritage, to stand by the local community of Rosia Montana, and to stand by the engaging and convincing voices of civil society that have not spared their efforts to campaign to save Rosia Montana.
Alongside ICOMOS and other international heritage organizations, Europa Nostra has gladly provided our support to this campaign, among others by placing in 2013 Rosia Montana on our very first List of 7 Most Endangered heritage sites in Europe, run by Europa Nostra with the European Investment Bank Institute. At that time, we were not optimistic about the future of Rosia Montana, but we were impressed by the determination of the local community and civil society not to stop resisting the plan for open-cast gold-mining by a multinational company that would have had a devastating impact on Rosia Montana’s cultural landscape.
8 years later, our joy cannot be bigger to see UNESCO recognizing the outstanding universal value of this exceptional historic mining landscape. Congratulations to UNESCO and ICOMOS for their support! May this case become an important message sent also to the world of business and economy that short-term business interest cannot prevail over the long-term interests of our cultural and natural heritage and the related local communities.
We also applaud the decision to put Rosia Montana on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger. This constitutes a rightful urgent call to all stakeholders, from local and national to European and international level, to gather necessary expertise and resources for developing a holistic plan for the future of Rosia Montana.
We especially urge the European Union to provide necessary support to the Romanian authorities to ensure a truly sustainable and inclusive revival of this World Heritage site, with due involvement of local community and civil society and in accordance with the excellent recommendations just adopted by the World Heritage Committee.
Europa Nostra stands ready to contribute to these efforts”.
We thank Mrs. Daria Pârvu for translating this letter.
The practical research for the repair of the simili pierre wall is at the stage where completely damaged areas are being restored. The loose plaster has been removed. The masonry substructure has been rebuilt as it was completely eroded and unstable because of high humidity levels. The new structure has been plastered with a plaster of simili pierre and is being worked on according to the original design.
First, some plaster samples were taken to determine the size and composition of the grains. In order not to alter the colour, no sand was used, only white stone dust in a proportion of 1/2 (cement/marble dust).
The plaster is applied and left for about a day to harden, after which the design is traced and then the surface is smoothened.
Smooth edges are produced by levelling the surfaces when applying plaster.
There is a difference in colour from the old plaster, but this is due to the ageing of the old finish and erosion over time by water, wind and sun.
First, some plaster samples were taken to determine the size and composition of the grains. In order not to alter the colour, no sand was used, only white stone dust in a proportion of 1/2 (cement/marble dust).
The plaster is applied and left for about a day to harden, after which the design is traced and then the surface is smoothened.
Smooth edges are produced by levelling the surfaces when applying plaster.
There is a difference in colour from the old plaster, but this is due to the ageing of the old finish and erosion over time by water, wind and sun.
The practical research goes on.
On July 4, 2021 took place the re-consecration of the wooden church, a historical monument, dedicated to the Feast of Annunciation and the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The large turnout showed us once again how much we need positive examples and how important the strength of the local community can be.
We rejoiced together with the parish priest Șerban Constantin Valeriu, the village people and the local officials the success of saving the church, as well as the award obtained in the European Heritage Awards 2021 / Europa Nostra Awards.
Thank you to all those who have been with us during our 10 years of intervention!
At the same time, Europa Nostra sent us the bronze plaque certifying the European Heritage Award 2021 / Europa Nostra Award for the Wooden Church in Urși. This will be taken to the community to the great delight of the villagers and the growing number of visitors.
At the same time, Europa Nostra sent us the bronze plaque certifying the European Heritage Award 2021 / Europa Nostra Award for the Wooden Church in Urși. This will be taken to the community to the great delight of the villagers and the growing number of visitors.
06.07.2021
Good news for our Enescu summer!
The new funding approved by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund completes our plans for this year in Mihăileni, started together with the UiPath Foundation, and the coming period seems to be full of surprises.
Under the name “The School of Landscape, Art and Sound”, this year at Casa Enescu we are bringing together two workshops centred around the notion of landscape and the practical and creative resources it offers.
From 28 July to 2 August 2021, six days will be dedicated to the Landscape and Art Workshop for the redevelopment of the George Enescu House courtyard and the artistic exploration of the natural resources offered by the garden and its surroundings. The garden work dedicated to young professionals in the field and the general public, will try to familiarize participants with as many stages as possible in the layout, preparation and arrangement of the site, while facilitating study visits to the area and becoming the basis of artistic experiments such as plant presses and natural pigments.
From 23 to 29 August, 40 children from three communities around the George Enescu House in Mihăileni will take part in the Landscape and Sound Workshop where they will practice their roles as landscape gardeners, gardeners and botanical artists through games and practical or artistic projects. In keeping with the specificity of the place, the study of sound will complement the children’s experience with specialists in the field and will challenge them to develop their practical skills through the construction of their own instruments, thus experimenting with the different qualities of the local wood species.
The materials gathered during the workshops and along the way, as well as the dedicated field study during this period will form the basis for the production, by the end of the year, of a Heritage Notebook, a tool for the creative exploration of the Enescu House and its surroundings through practical, sensorial or artistic challenges. The booklet will be conceived as a guide to the place, revealing the house history, architecture and garden, as well as elements of cultural identity in the immediate vicinity that can be accessed on foot, by bicycle or by car. This online-offline resource is offered to the general public who wishes to discover for themselves the story of the house and its surroundings.
“With all the challenges we encountered, the experience of the heritage workshops for children started last year at Enescu House convinced us that the long road between Bucharest and Mihăileni is worth the effort every time the opportunity arises. The community children’s openness, interest and joy sincerely impressed us and we hope that this year’s meetings will bring the children’s community even closer to the Foundation’s initiatives, to the Enescu House and its history in general, but more than that, perhaps to the way of relating to heritage, which we hope they will be able to carry forward in any future context they may find themselves in.” Andreea Machidon, Heritage Educational Programs Coordinator for Pro Patrimonio Foundation
By means of the proposed workshops and activities we want to complete the process of transforming the George Enescu House in Mihăileni, as a house — garden ensemble, into a cultural and educational center. It facilitates educational and cultural programs for adults and young professionals who want to complement their theoretical knowledge with practical or artistic exercises and experiments, and carries out educational activities for children in the vicinity throughout the year, together with partners UiPath Foundation, local teachers and guests from outside the community.
.
“The School of Landscape, Art and Sound” is a Pro Patrimonio Foundation cultural project co-financed by AFCN. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grantee.
UiPath Foundation is a Pro patrimonio Foundation partner in the program “The Children’s Academy of Music and Education” which has been running from the beginning of 2020 at the George Enescu House in Mihăileni.
Project’s parteners: Botosaneanul, Radio România Muzical, Revista Zeppelin, National Geographic, AsoP, Filiala Teritoriala Vest, Societatea Internaţională George Enescu din Viena, Fundația Remember Enescu.
.
Call de participanţi: Şcoala de Peisaj şi Artă
For the start of the construction site at the beginning of April 2021, the mansion windows are being repaired and completed with the carpentry workshop Etrusca srl and the contract for the manor facades has been signed with a company specialized in the restoration, SHK Edificii Casa company.
With the support of funding obtained in the Historical Monument Stamp Tax competition launched by the National Heritage Institute in 2020, we have developed and submitted for approval the projects necessary to obtain the building licence. At the beginning of June 2021 we obtained the Building Licence with no 3/03.06.2021. For the conservation of the Neamțu Manor, Olari Village, Parșcoveni Commune, Olt County and the transformation into an experimental study and education centre, LMI 2015-OT-II-m-B-08968.
Refinishing of the manor facade is progressing. Over the lime plaster the craftsmen noticed a harder thinning layer which helped the drawn profiles to have straight edges. We analysed this layer with the help of the Technical University of Construction to better understand its structure and composition. We will do an on site lime plaster test. Many thanks to Pro Patrimonio France for the cremone bolts sent to Romania, we could no longer find this window closing system here.
Slowly but surely, the manor is already taking on a new life and getting ready for the new meetings with children from the surrounding communities that will take place over the summer.
This week, together with our partners from the UiPath Foundation, we visited the schools around Neamțu Manor and the two communities where 20 children from vulnerable families will soon join the Future Acceleration Program. The secondary school children will receive integrated support to ensure better access to education and will participate in educational activities in the Manor’s courtyard.
During the month of July, facade repair works for the Neamțu Manor continued. After the actual plaster coat was applied, it was finished with a very fine sand lime paint, and the drawn profiles were finished with “ceapac” (a mixture of lime with glue and water macerated for about 10 days). This mixture makes it possible to produce precise and durable edges.
New window frames for the mansion windows have also been fitted. Although most of the original casings have been preserved, their condition is not suitable for fitting new sashes, so it was decided to add new ones to the outside, adding them to the existing ones, which would allow new sashes to be fitted and properly used.
Thanks to spring efforts and support, the manor has a new well, which now allows us to cope with the drought that has already set in. Despite the heavy rains in the country, there has been very little rain in Olari and the land is very dry. Unfortunately many of the seeds planted in the experimental garden started in spring did not germinate (it seems they were too old and the land was not prepared in time), but we have continued to ask around the village which hardy varieties the locals are using, so that in autumn we can better prepare the garden.
From August 2021 Neamțu Mansion has a new look!
At the beginning of August, the SHK Edificii Casa team completed the repairs to the exterior plaster and the installation of the new windows, which complete the existing frames. The decorative profile on the volume of the staircase was also completed with plaster cast elements, elements that were already cast previously with the support of Cella Cosimex, to whom we thank.
With the repair of the facades, the loggia upstairs reopened, allowing us to admire the surrounding landscape.
The drought is as severe as in previous years, most of the experiments started in the spring were fruitless. One kind of colored corn varieties grew and bore weakly. However, the mixture of local pumpkins developed well, covering part of the soil. Those observed this year allow us to make plans for next year for the Experimental Garden.
In September we hosted in Olari the U&I summer camp, organised by UiPath Foundation for the children in Future Acceleration Program, for which Pro Patrimonio provides support. A total of 20 children from two neighboring villages, Osica de sus and Branet, spent a couple of eventful days full of creative and stimulating activities. The movie-worthy aspect of the Neamtu Mansion, complete with its freshly renewed white facade, added to the scenery.
The Pro Patrimonio team in Olt welcomed a new member in their team. Together with the three employees taking care of the mansion, she joins the education branch to support the Future Acceleration Program.
The workshop about heritage education also happened in September, where children from Olari took part right before school started. When it ended, the foundation employees stationed at the mansion started preparing compote cans, thus elevating the local production. The dessert is to be enjoyed by children coming to the mansion next year. The window setup has been finished on the building site and now the mansion is preparing for the cold season by mounting protections during the winter for the beautiful Roman-inspired mosaic lodge situated upstairs. The experimental mansion garden will also undergo changes during the autumn, so that next spring the land will be ready for farming. We would like to take this chance to thank ROMCIM for their support in completing these activities.
We are also cherishing the recovery of a fountain this month, priorly situated until 1949 in the Neamtu mansion garden. This was moved away during the communist period, but recovered and returned back now in the memory of Mr. Serban Neamtu, the last mansion owner. This tiny bit of success in recovering the lost identity of this place makes past efforts worth it.
In November we showed all the areas previously used tests, thus preparing the garden for next year’s experiments. We intend to continue to test the different varieties of plants useful for a productive garden that can withstand drought.
Thanks to the donation of Mrs. Sînziana Coșeru, the daughter of Mr. Neamțu, the mansion received new pipes and gutters installed very quickly in the last sunny days of December.
Read also:
Gradina experimentala de la Conacul Neamţu
Un nou atelier de educaţie pentru patrimoniu la Conacul Neamţu din Olari
Jurnal de Atelier de Educaţie la Conacul Neamţu, septembrie 2021
Press selection:
Reconstruim teritorii, coagulăm comunități, experimentăm responsabil. Conacul Neamțu din Olari – Igloo
Fost conac din Olt, reabilitat de un ONG şi transformat în centru educaţional – Realitatea de Olt
AUDIO. Interviu cu Serban Sturdza – Preşedintele Fundaţiei Pro Patrimonio şi Raluca Negulescu-Balaci – Director executiv UiPath Foundation – Radio România Muzical
Radio România Actualităţi – Dincolo de ziduri (min 19:23) interviu cu Raluca Munteanu – Radio România Actualităţi
Studying the types of plaster and textures – incredibly diverse in form, materiality and manufacturing – we also observed the types of decay that are encountered. Many people ask us how to repair them. That’s why the Pro Patrimonio team continues to study practical ways of intervening in different situations. We are currently studying repairs to a fence plinth made of bush-hammered similipierre, which was loose and cracked, and cleaning graffiti designs on different types of plaster.
The problems encountered on the fence are much more complicated than we initially estimated: very high humidity in the brick structure, poor quality support layers, detachments over much larger areas than the initial analysis. Work is currently underway to repair the structure and straighten the wall (it was leaning dangerously close to the street).
Regarding the cleaning of the graffiti drawings on the facade, we had technical discussions and some practical tests with the company Clean Teach Expert, which uses gel solutions to dissolve the pigments in the graffiti paints and then washes them with a hot water jet. Old drawings dissolve more slowly and need to be scrubbed off with a soft brush, but this can erode poor surface plasters. It is important that after cleaning, the facade is treated with a protective solution to prevent future spray paints from penetrating deep into the facade, in line with a functional and consistent City Hall policy to discourage this type of vandalism in the city.
