EUROPAMOSTRA

'opa Nostra N° 1

Enlargement = Enrichment / Elargissement = EnrichissementContents / Sommaire

2 Editorial

Towards the flourishing of our common culture /

Vers l'épanouissement de notre culture commune

HRH the Prince Consort of Denmark, President of Europa Nostra

S.A.R. le Prince Consort de Danemark, Président d'Europa Nostra

4 Message

The Protection of Europe's Heritage: A Priority for the EU /

La protection du patrimoine européen: une priorité pour l'UE

Viviane Reding, Member of the European Commission responsible

for Education and Culture / Membre de la Commission européenne

chargée de l'Éducation et de la Culture

6 Introduction

A plea for a Europe-wide mobilisation in favour of

cultural heritage / Un plaidoyer pour une vaste mobilisation

européenne en faveur du patrimoine culturel

Sneška Quaedvlieg‐Mihailović

19 Cyprus / Chypre

"Our hope for a peaceful future is based on our common

cultural heritage" / «Notre espoir pour un avenir pacifique

repose sur notre patrimoine culturel commun »

Interview with / Entretien avec Pefkios Ceorgiades, Minister of

Culture and Education, The Republic of Cyprus / Ministre de la

culture et de l'éducation de la République de Chypre

24 Exemplary Initiative: The Centre for Cultural Heritage in

Cyprus / Initiative exemplaire: Le centre pour le patrimoine

culturel à Chypre

Sophocles Sophocleous

28 Czech Republic / République tchèque

A Strong Need for Exchange and Dissemination of Know-

How / Une nécessité des échanges et de la propagation du

savoir-faire

Mary-Brennan Bachrack

34 Estonia / Estonie

Estonia's Heritage Highlights and Challenges /

Le Patrimoine en Estonie: ses trésors et ses défis

Anneli Randla

40 Hungary / Hongrie

Towards an Enhanced Regional Cooperation /

Vers une coopération régionale renforcée

Gábor Winkler & Mihály Ráday

46 Latvia / Lettonie

Europe: A Cultural Heritage Without Borders /

Europe: un patrimoine culturel sans frontières

Agnese Rupenheite

50 Exemplary Initiative / Initiative exemplaire

Latvia Nostra

leva M. Laukers

52 Lithuania / Lituanie

The specificity of the cultural heritage in Lithuania /

La spécificité du patrimoine culturel en Lituanie

Giedrė Jankevičiūtė

60 Malta / Malte

An enhanced Mediterranean dimension of the EU /

Une dimension méditerranéenne élargie pour VUE

Antonio Espinosa Rodriguez & Pierre Cassar

64 Poland / Pologne

The strengths and weaknesses of the heritage

conservation in Poland / Splendeurs et miséres de la

préservation du patrimoine en Pologne

Zygmunt Świechowski

70 Exemplary Initiative: Lomnitz Palace, Silesia /

Initiative exemplaire:Le Palais Lomnitz en Silésie

Elisabeth v. Küster

72 Slovak Republic / Slovaquie

The Civil Society and Heritage Conservation in Slovakia /

La société civile et la sauvegarde du patrimoine en Slovaquie

Michaela Chalupová & Peter Táborský

76 Slovenia / Slovénie

Cultural Heritage in Today's Europe: Slovenia viewpoint /

Le patrimoine culturel dans l'Europe d'aujourd'hui: le point de

vue de la Slovénie

Jelka Pirkovič

82 Heritage at Risk / Patrimoine en péril

Appeal by Europa Nostra for the Rescue of the Cultural

Heritage in Kosovo / Appel d'Europa Nostra pour le sauvetage

du patrimoine culturel au Kosovo

HRH the Prince Consort of Denmark, President of Europa Nostra

S.A .R. le Prince Consort de Danemark, Président d'Europa Nostra

EURO P A N O S T R A I

E L A R G I S S E M E N T = E N R I C H I S S E M E N T

Exemplary Initiative:The Centre for Cultural Heritage in CyprusThirteen Years of Pioneering WorkSOPHOCLES SOPHOCLEOUS

Archaeologist and Art Historian, Director of the Centre

Apollon Ylatis Sanctuary,

Lemesos

Sanctuaire d'Apollon Ylatis,

Lemesos

© Sophie Dauwe-Pepite

Photography

Headquarters of the CentreThe Residence of Kostas Christodoulou was builtin 1920-21 by the architect Theodoros Fotiadis.Elements of earlier structures have been incorpo-rated into the building including a medieval dooron the west façade, an 18th-century cistern, pooland traditional domed bath. Its garden has beenespecially designed in 1993 in order to fit in withthe historic character of old Nicosia.

Research programmes and consultativeprojectsAs a result of the Centre's research and consulta-tive activity, many communities, municipalities,monasteries, the Church and the State of Cyprushave profited from the skills and experience of theCentre's scientific knowledge, as have many pri-vate collectors, museums, tourist agencies and theCyprus Guides' Association. Many research pro-grammes have already been undertaken by theCentre's team, some of which have been publishedin books and articles in specialised scientific jour-nals or presented as papers at international confer-ences. The Centre's library is home to consultativestudies and architectural plans made for muse-ums, communities and municipalities in order toenable them to safeguard and enhance their envi-ronmental and cultural heritage (see for examplePalaichori, Geroskipou, Treis Elies, Lefkara, Ara-kapas, Pelendri, Lemithou, Laneia...).

Conservation workThe Centre's atelier for conservation undertakesworks on icons, iconostases, murals, archaeologi-cal finds and other works of art. Students of conser-vation are accepted for practical training. Theteamwork and collective decision-making by thearchaeologist and / or art historian, the conserva-tor of art works, sometimes the architect, the che-mist and other specialists as and when required isvery important. The written and photographic(digital) documentation for the conservation workof the Department is considered exemplary and is

The Centre for Cultural Heritage was establishedin 1991 on the initiative of the author. A non-prof-it and non-governmental organisation recognisedby the state as a foundation for the public benefit,its headquarters are in the old neoclassical Resi-dence of Kostas Christodoulou in the historic cen-tre of Nicosia. One of the Centre's basic aims is tocontribute to fields in which the public servicesare not particularly active and to offer a modernand up-to-date approach to the cultural and envi-ronmental heritage of Cyprus.

C H Y P R E

working towards upgraded standards in this fieldas well as in that of the theory and deontology ofconservation. For the first time in this frameworka Cypriot team has digitally recorded old iconos-tases with all their sculpted adornments, e.g. thoseof Prodromos and Pelendri, which were financedby the Leventis Foundation.

The creation of museumsOver the last thirteen years, a number of muse-ums, especially ecclesiastical, have been created asa result of the Centre's activities and consultan-cies. The Centre's involvement established theway and the know-how for the preservation andthe enhancement of the Byzantine and post-Byzantine heritage accumulated over the cen-turies in parish churches, chapels and monasteriesof the island. In line with this, the Centre estab-lished - for the first time in Cyprus for projects ofthis kind - the Museum of the Monastery of AgiosNeofytos at Paphos (1993), the Museum of theHoly Cross at Kyperounta (1994) and later those ofthe Palaichori, Lemithou, Pelendri and Chrysor-roiatissa monasteries. The Anastasios G. LeventisFoundation contributed financially to the latterthree. As far as the ecclesiastical museums areconcerned, a pioneering concept is that in the caseof Kyperounta and then for those of Lemithou andPelendri, the art works are exhibited in the oldchapels of these communities, which is the natu-ral space for such sacred objects. In addition, gar-dens of aromatic herbs and other local traditionalplants have been designed and created by theCentre around these chapels, thus giving the

whole space an atmosphere that enhances itsecclesiastical character and practices.

The restoration of historic monumentsRestoration projects undertaken by the Centredemonstrate a holistic concept of the team mem-bers. In the case of the medieval water mill atGeroskipou, the architect and the topographersrecorded the monument and its surroundingspace; the archaeologists elaborated the historicalreading of the monument, collected the writtendocumentation and excavated some areas of themonument discovering pieces of medieval potterywhich confirmed its dating to the 14th century.Finally, the conservators and geologists madechemical analyses of the building materials. Themonument was finally restored according to thecollective decisions taken by the team. Scrupu-lously avoiding the use of any cement or othermodern materials, the work was done within theframework of traditional materials and tech-niques, while the walls supporting the eartharound the monument were executed using drystone techniques. Traditional plants were added tothe area. Apart from other restorations of monu-ments not classified by the Department of Anti-quities, the Centre has since 2001 been involved inthe study and landscaping enhancement of thearchaeological site of Agios Georgios in theGeroskipou municipality.

The traditional plants of CyprusThe Centre is very preoccupied with the safe-guarding of indigenous Cypriot and traditional

Greco-Roman Theatre,

Kourion

Théâtre gréco-romain,

Kourion

© J-J Serol-Pepite Photography

EUROP A N O S T R A 25

Mediterranean plants, with the aim of preservingthe traditional view of the Cypriot landscape andits aesthetic and componential elements. One ofthese elements is basically the plants. This preoc-cupation has almost become an emergency for usbecause of the continuously changing Cypriotnatural and cultural landscape, the views of mon-uments spoilt by ugly cement constructions near-by and in any case adorned by tropical, subtropi-cal and other imported plants, the lack of properlegislation and policies by local authorities, thePlanning Bureau, the Department of Public Worksand the Ministry of Agriculture. The boundaries ofCyprus's historic and traditional communitieshave disappeared and the whole island is rapidlybecoming a sort of built-up agglomeration. Atpresent, and after considerable destruction al-ready, the involved authorities and ministries areat last working to establish master plans and zones(residential, industrial, agricultural, forests, etc),but it is really too late because the traditionalboundaries of the historic communities and theirharmonious relationship and location within thenatural landscape have already been dislocatedand destroyed. And of course this destruction willcontinue because it will take time for the legisla-tion to be framed, discussed and voted on inParliament and then enacted. In that endeavourthe Centre of Cultural Heritage has published thebook "The Environmental and Cultural Heritageof Cyprus. Safeguard, Conservation And Preven-tion".

ExhibitionsA number of exhibitions have been organised, themost important being those of Cypriot icons. Theytook place in the Council of Europe (Foyer desMinistres) at Strasbourg (1991), in the Church ofSt. Thomas in Strasbourg (1994), in the cathedralof Mulhouse (1994), at the Municipality of the 5 tharrondissement of Paris (Place du Patheon, 1992).The biggest exhibition of Cypriot icons that hasever taken place abroad was organised in 2000with the Leventis Foundations and took place atthe Hellenic Centre in London. Catalogues havebeen published for all the exhibitions.

EikonologionThe Centre's Eikonologion (photographic archive)is in its preliminary phase but it eventuallyintends to be the digital inventory of Cyprus' cul-tural heritage including its archaeological sitesand objects, ancient and historic monuments,Byzantine and post-Byzantine works of art and

C Y P R U S

folk art. It also comprises more specialised subjectssuch as the Inventory of the Ecclesiastical Heritageof the Bishopric of Limassol, the written and pho-tographic documentation of the ConservationDepartment of our Foundation, as well as therecord of various communities' heritage for whichthe Centre has initiated consultative studies.These studies are for individual projects for thesafeguarding, restoration, use and enhancement oftheir heritage, e.g. Palaichori, Prodromos, Lemi-thou, Geroskipou, Laneia, Lefkara, Treis Elies, Ara-kapas, and also the record of museums created atthe monasteries of Agios Neofytos, Chrysor-roiatissa, Kyperounta, Koilani etc.

Mosaic from Monastery of

Kykkos

Mosaïque du monastere de

Kykkos

© L. R. H.

In the framework of the Eikonologion our Centrehas lobbied the political parties to propose legis-lation foreseeing the creation of a Cypriot De-partment of the Ministry of Culture called the"Inventory of the Cultural Heritage", similar to the"Inventaire des Monuments et des Richesses Arti-stiques de la France" at the French Ministry ofCulture. Unfortunately this proposed law has notbeen given any priority by Parliament over the lastfew years and so remains 'on the shelf'. The A K E L

party, which is fervently in favour of this law, haspublished our Centre's Inventory of the CulturalHeritage of Cyprus (Nicosia, 2002 - currently pub-lished only in Greek), which explains the invento-ry and includes photographic examples of theserial classification and categorisation of the Cy-priot heritage. Monastery ofAgia Napa

www.heritage.org.cy Monastère d'Agia Napa

© L. R. H.

EUROP A N O S T R A 27