Romania: Problems of physical deterioration on vernacular buildings in Transsylvania - Râsca village and open-air museum "Astra", Sibiu - a comparative study

The built vernacular heritage is the fundamental expression of the culture of a community and its relation with the surrounding territory a continuing process of adaptation and transformation. Due to the progressing homogenization of culture and the socio-economical transformations on a global level the built vernacular heritage is extremely vulnerable. In addition and completion to the "Venice Charter" the General Assembly of ICOMOS held in Mexico 1999 adopted the "Charter on the Built Vernacular Heritage" and the "Principles for conservation of historical wooden structures", both formulating basic principles for conservation and practical restoration work. In this way the general methodology for protection and conservation of vernacular structures and their cultural message are def ined. The alterations of building materials used in vernacular structures caused by time and climate cannot be treated separately. The problems of physical deterioration also have to be related to the biological analysis and need to be included in considerations on structural solutions, especially because vernacular structures are currently erected using local building materials from places of resources already disappeared.