Radio România Internațional

Tag: fortress

  • The Old Orhei Museum Compound

    The Old Orhei Museum Compound

    The Old Orhei, Orheiul Vechi, in Romanian, is a museum compound on the valley of river Raut, a right-hand side tributary of river Dniester, in Republic of Moldova. The Old Orhei cultural-natural reserve enjoys a special status and is Republic of Moldova’s most important site. Currently a process is ongoing, for the Old Orhei to be included on UNESCO’s World heritage List.

    The compound is made of several dozens of hectares of Orhei medieval town. Orhei is a settlement of the 13th and the 16th centuries. It is known as Old Orhei. We recall initially the settlement was deserted and a new city was established in a different location, bearing the same name, today’s Orhei, a town in Republic of Moldova’s Orhei district.

    Part of the compound are two large promontories, Pestere and Butuceni. Added to them are three smaller adjoining promontories, Potarca, Selitra and Scoc. On the territory of the promontories the ruins of several fortifications can be found, as well as dwelling places, baths, worship sites, that including cave monasteries, dating from the Tartar-Mongolian period, the 13th to 14th centuries, but also from the Moldavian period, 14th to 16th centuries.

    The Old Orhei Compound is a system made of cultural and nature elements, such as a natural archaic landscape, biodiversity, an exceptional archaeological environment, historical-architectural diversity, a rural traditional habitat and ethnographic originality.

    The medieval settlement of Old Orhei saw its heyday several times. During the 12th to the 14th centuries, the period before the Tartar-Mongolian invasion. In the early days of the medieval settlement, the wooden and earth citadel is believed to have been erected in that period of time. The Golden Horde Age of the 14th century, the period the stone fortress dates from. Between the 14th and the 16th centuries, the settlement was included in the Moldavian state, for the town, it was a period of transformation, from an Oriental settlement into a Moldavian town.

    During Stephen the Great’s reign (1438-1504) the stone fortress was repaired, and strengthened. In the 60s of the 15th century, the Orhei citadel was erected. It was a defense centre of the country’s eastern borders against the Tartar invasions. The Tartar invasions in the summer of 1469 prompted Stephen the Great to take measures, in a bid to strengthen the country’s defence capacity along Dniester River, initiating important works, carried in order to build a strengthened citadel in Orhei.

    The archaeological excavations that made possible the discovery of the citadel’s foundation speak about those events. Similarly, the official documents of that time speak about that as well. So, in Stephen the Great’s charter of April 1st, 1470, for the first time the mention is made of a burgrave, that is a military commander of the Orhei citadel. We recall at that time the burgrave had military but also administrative responsibilities of the Orhei district.

    The period of decay begins in mid-16th century and lasts until the early 17th century, when the inhabitants abandon the Old Orhei, moving into the new settlement, today’s Orhei. The stone citadel is destroyed.

    Stefan Chelban is the Reserve’s Head of Archelogy and Ethnography Service. We sat down and talked to Stefan Chelban about the history of the Old Orhei:

    „The Old Orhei is a nature cultural reserve set up in 1968, yet, in time, it has been going through several restructuring and reorganizing processes. The reserve is made of several localities and its purpose is to preserve the region’s natural heritage, but also its cultural heritage.

    Actually, it was one of the main reasons why the reserve was set up. Arguably, it is one of the areas with the biggest number of assets part of the archaeological and ethnographic heritage, but also of assets of the immaterial heritage and such like. So, it is a region where the cultural heritage has been acceptably well preserved, to this day. “

    The Old Orhei’s cave monasteries are part of a cave remains compound. They are located in the lime rocks on the Raut River valley. The compound is extremely attractive in terms of tourism; it includes roughly 350 cave remains, of which around 100 are man-dug rooms, while the remaining 200 are karstic formations, grouped in six compounds. They include well-defined monasteries, underground churches, galleries and cells.

    Here is Stefan Chelban once again, this time speaking about the cave monasteries and about the reserve:
    Track: ”This is likely to be the central point for many, yet the reserve has a lot more to offer. For instance, the ruins of the Tartar city, a city that used to be here in the 14th century, albeit for a short period of time yet worth visiting all the same, that including the ruins of an old mosque which, judging by its surface area, it was allegedly South-east Europe’s biggest mosque.

    Ștefan Chelban also told us something about the Old Orhei museum compound:

    “The Ethnography Museum is a model of traditional architecture, specific for the late 19th century and the late 20th century. This house has been restored, refurbished with EU funds, using only traditional material and techniques.”

    Here is Ștefan Chelban once again, giving us further details on the monastic life of the Cave monastery in the Old Orhei:

    „We understand initially the monastery was inhabited by 12 monks since there are 12 cells by means of which we can tell each cell was individual, so there were 12 monks. We do not know exactly the year when it was built, yet that happened somewhere between 14th to 15th centuries. ”

  • Alba Iulia, Romania’s other capital city

    Alba Iulia, Romania’s other capital city

    We’re heading today, towards Transylvania. We want to
    hit our destination, dubbed Romania’s other capital city, the town of Alba Iulia, which
    stands out thanks to its Vauban-type fortress, built in the 18th century, in
    the shape of a star. The fortress in Alba Iulia is described as Europe’s second most relevant such
    settlement, being outranked by a similar fortress in Luxembourg. Here you can also
    find the Batthyaneum, a library extremely well-stocked in rare
    manuscripts. However, we shall also discover a modern town, with an eventful
    cultural agenda. Our destination today boasts Romania’s strongest national
    symbolism. Or at least that is what the mayor of Alba Iulia municipal town, Gabriel
    Pleșa, told us.


    It is here that the first Union
    of 1600 was accomplished, under the scepter of Michael the Brave. Then, in 1918, the December 1st Great Union
    Act was accomplished; it was Romanians’ centuries-old dream come true.
    Also on October 15, 1922, the confirmation of the Romanian unitary state was achieved
    through the coronation, in Alba Iulia, of King Ferdinand
    I and Queen Mary, a centennial which in 2018 we celebrated with great pomp and
    loads of people attending. These are three key moments of the town and of the
    Romanian people! However, our listeners need to know Alba Iulia has been
    documented more than 2,000 years ago. Every step you take in the city, you’re literally
    treading on history. Part of the Roman castrum was preserved and also art of the medieval fortress, while the gem
    of the town is, obviously, the most recent fortification, the one the Austrians
    erected over 1715 and 1728, the Alba Carolina fortress, built after Vauban’s
    plans. It is a very well-kept fortress, with forts, counterforts, with bastions.

    The Princes’ Palace, just like many other monuments in Alba
    Iulia, has an old history, linked to figureheads and events that where highly consequential
    for the history of Transylvania and even for the history of Europe. The edifice
    is representative for the Transylvanian Principality’s days of glory when for
    more than 150 years, the fate of the region was decided in Alba Iulia. At the moment, restoration works are in full swing for
    the Princes’ Palace.

    Gabriel Plesa once
    again:


    All historians who were
    here doing their research told us it would be Transylvania’s most important building.
    It was here that the Transylvanian Assembly was held for 160 ago. Also, it was here
    that we had the Throne Hall for Michael the Brave, the Enlightenment Princes Gabriel
    Bethlen and Rákóczi I, Rákóczi al II-lea, Sigismund Báthory. Practically, it
    was the town of Alba Iulia’s opening towards education through its first university,
    established 400 years ago by Enlightenment prince Gabriel Bethlen prior to the battle of Mohács and the
    principality’s falling under the sway of the Ottomans. It is a very important one,
    the period after the conquest of the Transylvanian principality by the Habsburgs,
    it was a time when roads were built, the fortress was built, a network of
    railways was built, and so many other things.


    Here is mayor Gabriel Plesa once again, this time telling us we’re
    always in for pleasant surprises in Alba Iulia. Also, Gabriel Plesa announced the
    inauguration of a new tourist asset in town.


    We have been carrying a project through which we have already started works for the restoration of the house that belonged to the town’s first
    Romanian mayor after 1918, lawyer Camil Velican. It is a house that will be
    smack bang in the center of the town and which will also be a new tourist asset. Actually,
    it was here that, in the days ahead of the Great Union, all the official documents were signed. The Steering Council, The National Romanian Council, carried all its
    works in the Velicans’ house. That house was nationalized
    during the communist regime, being ceded to various institutions and throughout
    the years, its level of degradation was very high. We bought it from an
    inheritor, and from the bottom of our hearts we hope we can refurbish it. We got
    hold of part of the original furniture, part of the furniture is with Romania’s
    Museum of National History in Bucharest and they promised we shall receive it,
    since they did not have it exhibited, so there we are, it will be a new
    attraction for those travelling to Alba Iulia.


    The town of Alba Iulia is well-known thanks to the events
    staged to celebrated the National Day of Romania, on December 1st.
    However, the town’s cultural agenda goes way beyond that.

    Gabriel Plesa:


    If you want to keep your tourists, you cannot
    just offer them only vestiges, since they come, they see, return to their cars
    and drive away. Reason enough for us to have a list of beautiful events, for which
    we gave the start when we had the Museum’ Night on May 13. On June the 1st we have the Land of happiness, a playing
    festival. We have a Super Rally first leg in Alba Iulia. It will be a circuit, just
    lie in Monaco, on the municipal town streets and the interest for that seems to
    be very high. Then we stage Alba Fest, the Days of the Town over June 23 and
    25th. There are three days of fine concerts and many other events, we
    have thew Feast of Music, held over July 14 and 16. Again, there are three days
    of good music. We stage Rowmania, the rowing
    contest on river Mures, initially staged by the late Ivan Patzaichin, a friend
    of the town of Alba Iulia. Over August 11 and 15, you are
    invited to the Apulum Roman Festival. There will be 300-400 actors for the historical
    reenactment and over 20, 25 troupes from all over the world will come to Alba Iulia
    for combat demos, they will exhibit their apparel and the trades, the old crafts.
    As an absolute first, we stage the European Historical Target Archery Championship.
    Over August 4 and 13, you can see several hundreds of athletes, arriving from all
    over the world. The contest will be held in the area of the fortress.


    These are only a few of the events staged throughout the
    year! And rounding them off is the weekly performance provided by the changing
    of guards in Alba Iulia Fortress. With
    details on that, here is the mayor of Alba Iulia Municipality, Gabriel Plesa.


    The Austrian guard of the
    fortress built by the Habsburgs is active on Saturdays and Sundays at 12 pm.
    We’re most likely going to extend the program, on Tuesdays and Wednesday ,during
    holidays and vacations. Then on Fridays, at 7 pm, in front of the fourth gate,
    in front of the Roman-Catholic Cathedral, the re-enactment show will be held,
    featuring gladiators and those of the 13th Gemina Legion. The show
    is extremely popular, we stage it jointly with the Living History NGO, with some
    of the employees of the National Museum of the Union but also with very, very
    many volunteers. We mull over staging a similar event in the future: the triumphant
    entrance of Michael the Brave in Alba Iulia. We’re still considering how we’re
    going to do that and how often. It was a key moment, that of November 1st,
    1599, when after the battle of Selimbar Michael the Brave entered Alba Iulia.


    Accessing the site turism.apulum.ro, you can get details
    on the historical objectives, you can see the timetable of the events ad you will
    get info on the public transportation conditions or accommodation recommendations.







  • Romanian cities and their proud past

    Romanian cities and their proud past



    We heading, today, towards one of western Romanias biggest cities, Timisoara. In 1711, Central and South-eastern Europes first German-language newspaper was printed in this city. It was also in Timisoara that Hapsburg Empires first public library with a reading room was built. At present, the city boasts three theaters in three different languages. Between 1880 and 1914, Timisoara was the regions leading industrial, cultural and financial center. As we speak, the city makes a complex tourist destination for everybody.



    Here is the executive director of the Timisoara Promotion Association, Simion Giurca:



    “The city stands out as compared to other destinations thanks to a compound of three squares, located in the city center. They are connected to one another and it takes a short while to cross them through. Not only are they a beautiful area in Timisoara, they also make Romanias largest pedestrian area. Along this route you can see Timisoaras old palaces, part of them being refurbished and now they look really fine. We have a Neolog synagogue, which has been recently opened, after the refurbishment works. Also, Timisoara boasts a great many listed buildings, ranging from the Secession, Baroque or ArtNouveau style. It was also here that we have many restaurants, beer gardens, cafes, where people can relax and admire the beautiful parts of the city. In the Union Square, we have the Catholic Dome, built in 1736. We have the Serbian Cathedral, built in 1750. Also, there is a string of beautiful, refurbished buildings, a living proof of the Timisoaras architectural and historical progress, but also of the fact that here, the ethnic minorities have always lived in harmony with one another. “



    The military structure of the former citadel lies in the Freedom Square, with its army casino, with the building of the former headquarters and even with the old building of the town hall.



    The executive director of the Timisoara Promotion Association, Simion Giurca, once again.



    “It is the area of the citys former administration, an area playing host to numerous events. The squares recently-refurbished layout allows for a numerous public to attend the events. The Revolution Square is that one particular spot reminding us of the place where the most important moments of the 1989 Revolution occurred. Here lies the Orthodox cathedral, one of the most beautiful Romanian religious buildings, for which construction works began in 1936 and which was inaugurated after the war, with King Michael I attending. Opposite the cathedral, lies the Opera House. Furthermore, that building plays host to the asserts Timisoara holds pride of place for: three state theaters, in three languages, the National Theater in Romanian Language, The German State Theater and the Hungarian State Theater. Together with the Opera House, they make Timisoaras leading cultural compound.”


    For their own leisure time, tourists are invited to visit the museums. The Revolution Memorial, the Art Museum, the Banat Museum or the Banat Village Museum are among the options.



    Simion Giurca:



    “Also, exhibitions and events are being staged quite often. For those who want a ride across Bega River, there are the so-called vaporetti. Those are boats made in Galati, tailored for the public transport, but you can also have a pleasure ride across the river on board those boats. There are also paddle boats for families with children, so the little ones can discover the city by water. As a novelty, this year Timisoara is set to become a leader on the Christmas fairs market and will most succeed that, with two fairs. The first one will be placed in the city center, while the other one, on the premises at the Banat Village Museum.”



    Around Timisoara, there are a couple of areas that have developed really fine and which also offer fine accommodation facilities for those who, for instance, want to go on a tour of south-western Romania. Here is the executive director of the Timisoara Promotion Association, Simion Giurca, once again.



    “Starting off with the localities around Timisoara, we recommend a visit to Buzias, to the former imperial bath. But ours is not a sheer historical recommendation, you should also try the treatment using the healing waters in Buzias. Just as we have the Recas Hills, very well-known for the wine production, in Buzias, several smaller vineyards have been developed, they are perfect for visiting if you want to see for yourselves the wine-making process, and if you want to taste the wine. Also nearby Buzias lies the locality of Nitchidorf, the birthplace of Nobel Literature Prize Laureate Herta Muller. If we travel further east, we hit the town of Lugoj, which is a place of traditions. A couple of days ago, a guilds road has been launched there. Tourists can discover the 200-year-old history of the guilds, but also a city of Romanian choral music. A couple of famous Romanian composers lived there. “


    Simion Giurca:



    “Much to our joy, the feedback weve got is positive. Tourists from the German-speaking countries recognize some of their architecture in the German-style borough theyre visiting. The influence still exists, of the imperialist age and there still are a great many people confirming that Timisoara is quite aptly known as Little Vienna. We have lots of tourists form Serbia who feel really fine with us, since they see buildings that re closely connected to the Serbian culture. They are also delighted by the shopping facilities of the city center. Also in this part of the city we boast a road crossing built under the shape of a tunnel and which is decorated with street art elements. We want to turn Timisoara, in the shortest time possible, into a smart destination. “



    Timisoara has been selected as the European Capital of Culture in 2023. The programme is focused on the slogan “Shineyourlight – Lightupyourcity!”


    (EN)





  • The Princely Court of Suceava

    The Princely Court of Suceava

    Erected at the end of the 14th century, close to the medieval town of Suceava, the Princely Court of Suceava was, for almost 200 years, the main residence of Moldovian rulers. Constantin Emil Ursu, the head of the Bukovina National Museum, tells us more about the history of this fortress, which goes down in history as never conquered: ”The eastern part of Romania, was, until 1859, a state of its own, a principality set up in the 14th century in north-eastern Romania. The Suceava Princely Curt was the emblematic seat of the Moldavian rulers. Apart from being a fortress and having a defensive purpose, the court also housed the Romanian state treasury. It was first mentioned by documents in 1388, during the rule of Petre I Musat, in a letter to the Polish King, by which Moldavia lent Poland more than 3,000 silver coins, today the equivalent of 50 kilograms of gold. ”



    The Princely Court was built in several stages, as Consantin Emil Ursu tells us: ”It was expanded in the 15th century, during the rule of Stephen the Great, in two separate stages. The first stage was before 1476 and the second stage after this date, when the Princely Court was given the shape and size it has today. More exactly, Stephen the Great built the exterior walls, which, after 1476, were doubled. The ruler also built there a defensive ditch of around 10-m wide. The following rulers would also make repairing works or extend the building. The citadel was the most important architectural building as long as the capital of Moldova was in Suceava. When ruler Alexandru Lapusneanu moved the capital to Iasi, Suceava fell into oblivion. Nevertheless, the citadel would preserve its importance in the geopolitical context of the 16th and 17th century. Unfortunately, at the end of the 17th century, it was tore down and it fell to ruin until the end of the 19th century, when Austrian architect Karl Romstorfer started works in an attempt to bring to light what was left of it. The archaeological works and measurements were made with such accuracy, that many collection items from the Princely Court were retrieved and are now exhibited. ”



    The museum recomposes, for the first time, the most complete image of the Suceava Fortress and highlights its Gothic style that dominated the 15th century. The decorative elements such as the stoves, blend local and central European elements. Also, there is a multimedia systems with a medieval historical theme and the video projections with topics related to the history of the fortress. Constantin Emil Ursu: ”From 2010 to 2015, following extensive restoration works, financed from European funds, the fortress changed its face. Walls have been rebuilt and certain rooms restored. Following a fire, there were modifications of the geological structure of the plateau the fortress is built on, and landslides were reported until 2010. The citadel is now fully refurbished and starting 2016 it venues a permanent interactive exhibition. ”



    The citadel offers visitors a lot of surprises. In the evening tourists are invited to attend a wonderful light and sound show. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm and from 9 am to 5 pm on Sunday and Saturday. The price of a ticket that offers access to the permanent exhibition is 3 euro. Constantin Emil Ursu tells us how tourists react after visiting the citadel: ”What we know from the comment book, is that impressions are always positive. With the opening of the permanent exhibition in an unconventional space, the Romanian and foreign visitors are taken back in history and find out details about the Moldavian Middle Ages. We have materials in a number of foreign languages and an audio guide that can be downloaded on the mobile phone and even stored there. ”


    In the month of August, the Medieval Art Festival is held. Theatre plays, medieval dance and music and knight fighting are attracting a large number of visitors.




  • The beauties of Bistrita Nasaud

    The beauties of Bistrita Nasaud


    Today’s stopover is in the central northern Romanian
    county of Bistrita-Nasaud. Our journey there started from the most relevant
    monuments in the town of Bistrita-Nasaud . Then we headed for the county’s
    tourist assets. You may have a relaxation stay or an active holiday in
    Bistrita-Nasaud, the accommodation offer has been tailored to cater for for all
    pockets and all tastes. Ovidiu Bozbici is a councillor
    with Bistrita Municipality    ‘s Tourism Service. He suggested we should start
    our tour with an iconic monument of the town of Bistrita.


    Ovidiu Bozbici:

    We can start with Bistrita’s Evangelical Church which
    has a 75-meter high tower. It has an elevator since 2013, so visiting
    facilities have been made available for tourists. They can be taken at a height
    of 45 meters, where they can have a bird’s eye view of the town. The
    construction began in the early 16th century and lasted for about 50
    years. In time, renovation works occurred, on and off. At the moment, European
    sources made possible the initiation of large-scale refurbishment works, still
    in progress, with roughly four-million Euros worth of funding earmarked for
    this undertaking, and we keep our hopes high for the works to be completed by
    the end of the year.


    The Bistrita fortress is one of Transylvania’s famous
    fortified citadels, alongside those in Sighișoara, Brașov or Sibiu.

    Ovidiu Bozbici:


    We’re next heading to Bistrita’s old
    fortress, which initially had 18 defense towers and bastions. Placed at an
    equal distance from one another, They were strategically buttressing the
    defense wall of the fortress. In turn, the defence wall was doubled by a moat.
    As we speak, only one tower of the old fortress is still standing, the Coopers’
    Tower, which is roughly 18 meters tall. It is an exhibition venue for the local
    artists. Then we have the Sugalete compound. The name of Sugalete speaks about the
    lodgings of Bistrita’s craftsmen, supposedly metal workers. It is a
    one-of-a-kind compound in Romania, made of a string of 13 buildings. The
    construction began in 1480 and lasted until 1520 or thereabouts. Bistrita
    compelled recognition thanks to the precious but also semi-precious metal workers.
    The mineral ore was extracted from the Rodna mines, lying at around 60
    kilometers from the town. Ancient documents have revealed that Moldavia’s
    ruling princes received their supplies of jewels, farming tools or weaponry from
    there. Speaking about Rodna we also need to say Bistrita was first documented
    in 1241. So this year, in 2021, we celebrate 780 years since the first written
    mention of Bistrita, which was made concurrently with the great Tartar invasion
    of 1241. The Tartars got there, they tossed the old citadel of Rodna, then they
    reached Bistrita, in 1241, killing 6,000 inhabitants. Which stands proof of the
    fact that Bistrita was a densely-populated town.


    A string of museums can be found in the county of
    Bistritsa-Nasaud. They are well worth visiting if we want to get acquainted
    with the region’s generous past, but also to its crafts and traditions.

    Ovidiu
    Bozbici:


    We have the County Museum,
    with its ethnography section, with a natural history section. We have the
    Silversmith’s House, one of the town’s most important monuments, which has in
    turn been refurbished and turned into the German Centre of today. It is a house
    built between 1560-1563, by the seme craftsman who also contributed to the
    building of the Evangelical Church. We have the Andreas Beuchtel House. It is
    an old house as well, lying in the centre of the town. It was the property of
    one of Bistrita’s first sitting judges, who fell to loggerheads with the powers
    that be nd was subsequently beheaded. Also, Bistrita has compelled recognition
    thanks to its multiculturality. We have the Evangelical church, Orthodox
    churches, the Roman-catholic church, the Greek-catholic church, the Reformed
    church. Around 80,000 people live in Bistrita, according to the most recent
    census.


    The visitors who are into tradition and folklore can go
    to the commune of Salva in Nasaud area. The councilor of the Tourism Service
    with the Bistrita Municipality, Ovidiu Bozbici:


    Here they can visit
    an exceptional ethnographic museum, and it is also here that you can find a
    museum of the traditional apparel. The local woman artist, who is renowned al
    over Romania, succeeded to preserve the old Romanian apparel, also
    manufacturing, on demand, peacock feather hats, which are very well-known in
    Romania, Tourists can then go to Sângeorz-Băi. Here the mineral waters are
    famous for healing properties in the case of stomach conditions. If you want to
    have a good breath of fresh air, we have the new tourist resort in Colibița, where
    tourists can do nautical sports, mountain climbing or rafting. There is also
    another new resort in Figa Spa, in Beclean, lying 38 kilometres from Bistrita.
    Its salty waters have healing qualities, there is also the mud, as well as the
    newly-built outdoor swimming pools, for which it has been officially rated as a
    tourist resort of local interest.


    Tourism is one of Bistrița-Năsăud Municipality’s priorities. European funding has made possible the initiation of
    tourism projects as well as the repair works for 12 out the 20 old passageways.
    For this reason, the town got its name of the Town of Passageways. Yet there is
    more to it than that.

    Ovidiu Bozbici:


    We have a large-scale project,
    running as the Bistrita Fortress, where we refurbish the walls of the former
    fortress and some of the main bastions. Then there is also the project
    targeting the Evangelical Church. That implies the complete refurbishment of the
    asset, to be included in the tourist circuit afterwards. Another projects,
    still under debate, is run as Intelligence Cities Challenge. We thereby try to
    revitalize the historical center and make it similar to the center of a
    medieval borough.


    For updated info on accommodation fees, personalized
    routes, maps and prospectuses you can stop for a while in the city center and call
    in at the National Tourism Information Centre which is open seven days a week,
    for you.