Iuliana Vijulie

Assessment of Agricultural Land Fragmentation in Romania, A Case Study: Izvoarele Commune, Olt County

Agricultural land fragmentation is a common phenomenon in developing countries in general and for Romanian agriculture in particular. The aim of this study was to analyze the degree of fragmentation of Romania’s agricultural land, which is considered a major obstacle in the development of a modern agriculture. The analysis undertaken has shown that the degree of land fragmentation is high in the study area; the most fragmented are the big farms, while the small ones are more compact. At the same time, due to the scattered distribution of plots and the long distances between holdings, many fields have been turned into fallow land and consequently productivity has dropped. Under the circumstances, half of the owners are against the proposed process of merging plots because they are afraid of losing their properties again, as occurred during the communist regime.

Tradition and Modernity in the Romanian Rural Space. Case Study: the Arges Sub-Carpathian Foothills

Abstract This paper intends to demonstrate on the basis of a case study that rural people’s access to modern goods and services is not necessarily a relentless source of deculturalisation, because it sometimes allows a better management and valorisation of the main characteristics of the rural space. Despite socio-economic unrest and successive changes of political regimes that took place in Romania during the last century, the human communities within the Arges foothills have defended with dignity their traditional material and spiritual values, passing them down from generation to generation. In the medium and long-term, the valorisation of the Romanian rural space, in general, and of that belonging to the Arges foothills, in particular, will imply the creation of a balance between the valuable cultural potential and the quality of life of the inhabitants, who are the keepers of rural cultural heritage. At present, the best thing to do to pass on the traditions of this area is to proudly accept the affiliation to this geographical space. This is true not only for the permanent inhabitants of rural settlements, but mostly for those who have left the countryside to carry it in their minds and souls. In our opinion, this fact is a pre-requisite for preventing the loss of material and spiritual values of this cultural-historical space.

Exploring the symbolism of traditional Szekely gates in heritage tourism

Gates represent an important component of the Romanian domestic life since historical times. They function as a barrier between the sacred family space from inside the household and the space and potential dangers from outside it. Traditional wooden gates have been inscribed with specic elements, thus functioning simultaneously as a household utility and conserving a common identity through their symbolism. Szekely gates represent a lesserknown and studied element of ethnocultural heritage, although the area where they are located has been in the last few years and will probably continue to be a very dynamic and sought after tourism destination. The wooden Székely gates, found in areas inhabited by this ethnic minority, represent a true accumulation of both Romanian and Székely rituals and symbols. The aim of the study is to highlight the importance of the gates for the traditional ethnographic heritage of this ethnic minority with real implications for the development of local cultural and heritage tourism. The objectives of the study consist in identifying the main areas of distribution for Székely gates in Transylvania, the signicance of their main symbols and the level of their current national and international promotion. The research methodology included direct observations, GIS techniques, and eld investigations. The results of this exploratory study show the location of the traditional Székely gates and their diversity, and the coexistence of a Romanian symbolism with one that is exclusively local through specic motifs and colours. This diversity and coexistence of symbols gives the possibility of inserting Székely gates as added cultural values into an already visible and viable tourism area.