Romania is a place where people and institutions are not very renowned for punctuality or keeping up the time. It is a sort of “mañana” land, a characteristic imprinted by its former Ottoman provinces of Wallachia, where the capital is, and Moldavia. There is an important exception to that, in Transylvania, namely in Saxon Transylvania, with its famous medieval fortified churches, nearly all, even in small villages, provided with clocks since centuries ago, for people to order their daily life and conduct efficient business. Now those clocks and architecture that goes with them are museum pieces, a witness of a long gone era when western work ethics were the norm in that region. This video details and maps up traditions of time keeping and wasting in the Romanian lands, with a special focus on Saxon Transylvania.
***********************************************
My aim, through this series of blog articles, is to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania and Southeast Europe, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of world’s architectural history and heritage.
***********************************************
If you have a historic house project in Romania or other country in Southeast Europe, I would be delighted to advise you in aspects pertaining to its architectural history and ways to preserve as much as possible from its period fabric and aesthetics in the course of restoration or renovation works, or to counsel you with specialist consultancy work related to that project. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this website.
Valentin Mandache, architectural historian 