| Prince Charles and the European Cultural Heritage 20/05/2011 |
| (2011-05-20) |
| Last updated: 2011-05-23 14:28 EET |
Prince Charles, the heir apparent to the British throne, is once again visiting Romania, where he is contributing to the preservation of Medieval German Saxon villages set up around the 13th and 14th centuries.
Prince Charles, the heir apparent to the British throne, believes that Transylvania is Romania’s best export. These past few days he was on a personal visit to the region. He seems to be quite fond of it, since a few years ago he purchased property there, including a few buildings over 100 years old in a tiny hamlet with only 150 inhabitants. Far from the maddening crowd, this village seems stuck in time in the Middle Ages.
The Prince of Wales got involved in restoring several Transylvanian villages settled by the Saxon colonists of the 12th century, some of them included by UNESCO in their world heritage list. In an interview with the public television, he said there was a lot to do in Romania and Transylvania in terms of preserving the multiethnic heritage in order to prevent these cultural treasures being lost.
He said that if these places were lost, it would be a tragedy for the people in the region and for humanity as a whole. As part of his visit, the Prince of Wales went to a fortified church in Delniţa, in Harghita county, a monument dating back to 1333, mentioned in Vatican documents. The vault of the church was built in late Gothic style, but also preserving Roman elements, which, according to experts, is the oldest and most beautiful of its kind in Transylvania.
The British heir enjoyed for a few day the simpler life, far from the etiquette of the palace. He took strolls and went riding horse drawn carts, went on picnics and even went reaping grass. He is also a supporter of organic farming in Romania. His foundation, Transylvania Authentica, wants to encourage local farmers to preserve their traditions. In Mures county he visited a dairy modernized to European standards with funds from the Norwegian government, and met local farmers.
When he visits Romania, the prince also takes the time to visit the mansion of Count Kalnoky Tibor in Miclosoara, a 16th century Renaissance style building. The Kalnoky family was, next to former King Mihai I, among the few guests from Romania who attended the royal wedding in London between Prince William and Kate Middleton.
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2025-04-03
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