25 YEARS IN THE SERVICE OF ROMANIAN HERITAGE AND COMMUNITIES
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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.
