Have you ever wondered what heritage is and how many categories of heritage there are? The classic definition tells us that heritage represents the set of goods and rights inherited from the past.
What is Cultural Heritage? It encompasses all tangible and intangible assets created by humans throughout history that are considered culturally, historically or artistically valuable. These can include monuments, works of art, artefacts, traditions, customs, languages, music and more.
Cultural heritage can be subdivided into several categories:
Built Cultural Heritage: refers to tangible assets that cannot be moved without damage or destruction and are protected by law for preservation and protection. These include historical monuments, old buildings, castles, churches, palaces, fortresses and other physical structures of significant cultural, architectural or historical value.
An example of a project implemented by MET in the field of Built Cultural Heritage: the Reveal Alma Vii project – https://www.mihaieminescutrust.ro/ongoing-projects/reveal-alma-vii-2/
Movable Cultural Heritage: refers to tangible assets that can be moved without damage or destruction and are considered valuable from a cultural, historical or artistic point of view. These include objects such as archaeological artefacts, sculptures, paintings, manuscripts, traditional costumes, furniture and other artefacts that can be displayed in museums, galleries or other cultural institutions.
An example of a project implemented by MET in the field of Movable Cultural Heritage: The Flowers of Transilvanya project – https://www.mihaieminescutrust.ro/whole-village/the-flowers-of-transylvania/
Intangible Cultural Heritage: consists of practices, traditions, knowledge, and cultural expressions passed down from one generation to another, such as traditional dances, music, religious rituals, and stories.
An example of a project implemented by MET in the field of Intangible Cultural Heritage: the project “Muzicarte – Music, arts and books in marginalized communities” – https://www.facebook.com/Muzicarte
Digital Cultural Heritage: includes digital resources such as historical documents, archives, photo collections and audio or video recordings that are considered valuable to the culture and history of a society.
An example of a project implemented by MET in the field of Digital Cultural Heritage: Sarmizegetusa Regia Application, developed by the Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation, in collaboration with Hunedoara County Council.
What is Natural Heritage? It includes natural places or landscapes that have cultural or historical significance, such as national parks, archaeological sites and nature reserves.
An example of a project implemented by MET in the field of Natural Heritage: the “Plant for the future” project – https://www.mihaieminescutrust.ro/exemplary-projects/plant-for-the-future/
However, protecting and maintaining the Cultural and Natural Heritage is not an easy task. The Mihai Eminescu Trust (MET) Foundation is involved in revitalizing and sustaining the development of communities in Romania by involving their members in the identification and enhancement of Cultural and Natural Heritage.