The Traditional Wooden Gates of Maramures (Romania) As a Part of the Place Legitimization Processes
The Traditional Wooden Gates of Maramures (Romania) As a Part of the Place Legitimization Processes

Summary/Abstract: Maramures is renowned for its vernacular architecture, with over one thousand wooden gates of different ages, old traditional gates and newer ones. They are important not only from an anthropological perspective, but within a larger heritage consumption process, in cultural tourism and political discourse. Therefore, the paper examines the relationship between the wooden gates and the land, revealing new ways of place legitimization and community resilience through ethnographic insights. Consequently, the study focuses on several main categories: the visual elements, metaphors, patterns and themes linked to identity place-branding processes, and heritage tourism. Initially placed at the limit of properties, the gate has played the function of architectural structure and of social status symbol. The new gates are erected in a separate paradigm, and two main functions derive from their position as private art in the public space—the frame and the portal, both static and dynamic roles of the same wooden structure, mediating between the artist, the patrons, the work of art, and the art consumers.

• Details
• Contents