The Relation between Cultural Tourism and Traditional Churches Art in Romania’s Country Sites

• • 
  • Presentation speakers
    • Andreea Marin Pantelescu, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania

  Abstract:

  This paper focuses on the relation between cultural tourism and traditional churches art in Romania’s rural sites while investigating the foreign tourists perceptions about local customs and traditions in identity making practices. As tourism facilitates the interaction of the locals with foreign tourists, it creates also an energy of exchange and enriches cultures on both sides. UNESCO World Heritage in Romania includes now six cultural sites : Dacian fortresses in the Orăştie Mountains, Transylvanian fortified churches, churches of Moldavia, Horezu Monastery, the wooden churches of Maramureş and the historical center of Sighisoara. The Horezu Monastery represents a masterpiece of the Brâncovenesc style. An authentic image of the cultural sight in southern Transylvania country includes: the fortified church and the rural site of Biertan, the fortified churches of Prejmer, Viscri and Saschiz. Churches of Moldavia (like Arbore, Moldovița, Sucevița, Voroneț) have the exterior walls covered with authentic and well-preserved fresco paintings, which represent complete cycles of religious themes with theological message and are considered “masterpieces inspired by Byzantine art.” The theological interpretation generated by the painting of ‘The Last Judgment’ and ‘The Prayer of Ali Saints ‘ on the monasteries exterior walls has an outstanding value. Some questions arise from this presentation: how we can preserve artistic, cultural and historic sites for the future generations while sharing their uniqueness and role in identity making?; can we educate tourists to appreciate diversity and local cultures?; and how we can spread awareness about the importance of preserving sites of local or regional identity in the contemporary world?

 

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