ISPRS-Archives

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences

ISPRS-Archives

Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci.

2194-9034

Copernicus Publications

Göttingen, Germany

10.5194/isprs-archives-XLIV-M-1-2020-249-2020

VILLAGES WITH FORTIFIED CHURCHES IN TRANSYLVANIA: ARCHITECTURE, HISTORY AND INTANGIBLE CULTURE

Cristini

¹ García-Soriano

¹ Vegas

Research Centre PEGASO, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain

24 07 2020

XLIV-M-1-2020 249 254

2020

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Romania's significant German (Saxon) heritage is perfectly conserved in southern Transylvania, where Saxons arrived in the mid-1100s from the Rhine and Moselle river regions. Highly respected for their skill and talent, this population succeeded in gaining administrative autonomy, a feat practically unrivalled through a feudal Europe of absolute monarchies. The result of almost nine centuries of existence of the Saxon (German) community in southern Transylvania is still visible today in a stunning melting pot of cultural and architectural heritage, unique in Europe. Within the framework of the project “3d Past, Living & virtual visiting European World Heritage” the set of 7 villages (Biertan, Câlnic, Dârjiu, Prejmer, Saschiz, Valea Viilor, Viscri) listed by UNESCO since 1993, have been studied in detail. Strategies for maintenance and conservation have been analysed in order to contribute to the awareness and preservation of the principles of authenticity and integrity of those sites.