About ARTTA
In Romania precious old buildings are being destroyed everyday and the most visual part of the country's history is being erased at an alarming rate. The two main causes, inappropriate modernisation and chronic lack of maintenance are resulting in more damage to Romanian architecture than even in the Communist times of Nicolae Ceuasescu. It would be a tragedy for Romania and Romanians, for Europe and the world, if this destruction was to continue. It is the intention of the Anglo-Romanian Trust for Traditional Architecture (ARTTA) to do what it can to prevent such destruction by :
We have made enormous progress in changing the way historic architecture is perceived in Romania both by villagers and the authorities. In 2013 we informed as many villagers as possible of the historic building protection laws, so as to prevent further destruction of valuable buildings. Then in 2014 and 2015 we leaned more towards education and awareness - taking tours and giving lectures in the villages about the importance of old buildings, what they represent, and why they should be preserved and treasured. We also completed our traditional tile and brick kiln in Apos. During 2016 and 2017 we have built on these foundations, further strengthening our relationships with other charities, associations and government agencies, as well as using what we have learnt to build a second kiln to continue to provide low cost, traditionally made materials to ensure the preservation of the local architecture and skills in these villages.
2018 has been a fantastic year for one of ARTTA's newest and most exciting projects, The Ambulance for Monuments. Following a string of fruitful discussions between HRH The Prince of Wales and the Romanian Patriarchy, the project was given special permission to repair several wooden Orthodox churches adorned with 17th Century frescoes and highly sculpted altarpieces. This good news was quickly followed by the expansion of The Ambulance network into the Banat region of western Romania, where volunteers and local people successfully repaired the roof of Theotokos Church at Strei.
- Carrying out emergency repairs on buildings at risk.
- Photographically documenting historic villages, both as a record for the future, and so as to identify buildings at risk.
- Training and employing local people to carry out those repairs.
- Supporting the production of high quality traditional materials, especially tiles and bricks, appropriate for the sensitive repair of historic buildings.
- Advising on more effective legal protection for historic architecture.
- Encouraging a philosophy of sensitive restoration and proper documentation for the future benefit of communities.
- Training student architects in traditional building techniques.
- Teaching young people of the importance of their built heritage.
- Raising awareness, both nationally and internationally, about the state
of Romania's historic architecture.
We have made enormous progress in changing the way historic architecture is perceived in Romania both by villagers and the authorities. In 2013 we informed as many villagers as possible of the historic building protection laws, so as to prevent further destruction of valuable buildings. Then in 2014 and 2015 we leaned more towards education and awareness - taking tours and giving lectures in the villages about the importance of old buildings, what they represent, and why they should be preserved and treasured. We also completed our traditional tile and brick kiln in Apos. During 2016 and 2017 we have built on these foundations, further strengthening our relationships with other charities, associations and government agencies, as well as using what we have learnt to build a second kiln to continue to provide low cost, traditionally made materials to ensure the preservation of the local architecture and skills in these villages.
2018 has been a fantastic year for one of ARTTA's newest and most exciting projects, The Ambulance for Monuments. Following a string of fruitful discussions between HRH The Prince of Wales and the Romanian Patriarchy, the project was given special permission to repair several wooden Orthodox churches adorned with 17th Century frescoes and highly sculpted altarpieces. This good news was quickly followed by the expansion of The Ambulance network into the Banat region of western Romania, where volunteers and local people successfully repaired the roof of Theotokos Church at Strei.
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Our Trustees
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