The wild horses of Danube Delta

The wild horses of Danube Delta are found in and around Letea Forest, located between the Sulina and Chilia branches of Danube. About 3600 feral horses live in the Danube Delta, 2000 in the Letea Nature Reserve, where they are among the last remaining wild (feral) horses living at large on the European continent.


The horses on Letea are black or bay, without white spots. They stand between 1.45 to 1.50 metres and are of a strong build. They are of a different breed than the close by Sfântu Gheorghe breed. They are not of a riding horse build, but are built like working horses of the Nonius type.


Although feral horses have existed for hundreds of years in the region, their number greatly increased after the collective farms were closed down in 1990 and the horses belonging to them being freed. Today, the Letea population is not regulated and there are concerns that overgrazing is a looming problem. They are deemed to be a threat to the flora of the forest, including to some plants on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.


Currently, there is an ongoing project, in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature, seeking to find a way to remove these horses. While some organizations object to total removal and advocate for some animals to remain, others are attempting to find a different preserve for the horses to live. (after Wikipedia)

Romanian Bukovina Shepherd Dog

The Romanian Bukovina Shepherd Dog (Romanian: Ciobănesc de Bucovina, French: Chien de berger roumanin de Bucovine) is a native breed that was developed in the Carpathian region, specifically, in the North-East of Romania, in Bukovina province. It is also known as Bukovina Wolfdog, Bukovinac, dulău (meaning sheepdog) or capău. It was for centuries the best partner and companion for the Romanian shepherds in the Carpathian Mountains. Their original use was to guard and protect the herds against predators (wild animals or thieves). The Bukovina Sheepdog is calm, yet it has bountiful energy and loves to play a lot. It should be exercised often, taken outdoors because it likes to have a lot of space to move around. It was bred to be herd guardians, keeping watch over sheep and cattle against thieves or preying animals. Today, it is being used as a guard go and family companion.


FCI-Standard (Excerpt)
Romanian Shepherd Dog of Bukovina

ORIGIN: Romania
UTILIZATION: shepherd dog for sheep and cattle herds, excellent guard dog.
CLASIFICATION F.C.I.: Grou II: Pinscher-Schnauzer, Molossoize, Swiss Cattle Dog and other breeds. Section 2.2 – Molossoize, mountain type.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: The Shepherd Dog of Bucovina was selected from a natural breed of the Carpathian Mountains, in Bucovina, exactly in the North-East of Romania. This breed has been the subject of a special attention as far as selection and improvement is concerned, which led to the present type. In this region, dogs of this breed are used successfully as dogs to guard sheep flocks, cattle herds, and for properties. This dog is mostly known as "DULAU" or "CAPAU". The first standard was drafted in 1982 and revised in 2001 by the Romanian Cynological Association. The present standard, dated on 29.03.2002, was drafted and revised according to the F.C.I. model established in Jerusalem.
GENERAL APPEARANCE: large dog, towering, audacious and proud. Sexual dimorphism well emphasized.
BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT: Calm, stable, very faithful and devoted to the owner, loves children. Wary of strangers. Excellent herd dog, very brave and efficiently fighter with possible animal prey (bear, wolf, lynx). He owns a very strong barking. When strangers, man or animal, approache its territory, he strongly barks, of a low tonality, which can be heard over very long distance. At nighttime, he patrols around the property or herds.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: equable and swing, powerful and effortless; seen from the front and back, legs move in straight line. Medium amplitude trot is preferred. Crossed or high moves should be penalized.
SKIN: thick, tight, dark-grey colored
HAIR: short on the head and anterior side of the limbs. On the body, the hair is abundant, harsh texture, from 6 to 9 cm long. Undercoat is shorter and denser, lighter colored. On the neck, hair is longer and crest shaped; on the posterior side of the legs, hair forms moderate size fringes. Tail is brushy, with a longer and thicker hair, well furnished.
COLOR:
• Classic colour : Well-defined spots of wolf-grey or black colour appear against a white background colour. On the limbs, spackles in black or other colours should be allowed.
• Uniform colours (without markings) white or black are allowed, but should not be followed.
SIZE AND WEIGHT:
Height: male: 68-78 cm, ideal hight 71-75 cm; female: 64-72 cm, ideal hight 66-68 cm
Weight: in proportion to the size.

Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog

The shepherding was a main occupation since ancient times and up to the present, and the Romanian shepherds, in different areas, created different types of shepherd dogs, more or less spread in the country. The Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog (Romanian: Ciobănesc Mioritic, French: Chien de berger roumain Mioritic) is an excellent watch dog for herds, farms, homes. He is a brave dog, but his attack is not "mad". He attacks his enemy by harassment, looking for the weak point - the result of centuries of fighting bears. Here we must mention that neither the Mioritic, and nor other dog breed in the world, can "attack the bear with equal chances" when speaking of a grown up, healthy bear of 200-300 kilos, not about a cub or an old and powerless individual. At a sheepfold the dogs are not supposed to kill anything or anybody, they are supposed to be vigilant, perceiving and brave to tackle with the predators, which they have to chase away as far as possible and make them give up ever again attack "their sheep". The name "Mioritic" came from "Mioriţa", a ballad about three shepherds considered to be representative for the Romanian people.


FCI-Standard N° 349 / 13.07.2005 / GB (Excerpt)
Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog

ORIGIN : Romania.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 06.07.2005.
UTILIZATION : Excellent herding dog, incorruptible guardian and marvellous companion.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs).
Section 1 Sheepdogs.
Without working trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog was selected from a natural breed of the Carpathian mountains, the principle reason being utility. This breed has many fanciers in Romania because of its vigorous appearance. The standard was drafted by the Romanian Cynological Association in 1981. The Technical Commission of the R.C.A. adapted and revised the Standard on 29.03.2002 to conform to the F.C.I model established in Jerusalem.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : A large dog but never heavy; vigorous and spectacular. The coat is long and well furnished on the head, all of the body and the limbs. Males are taller and stronger than females.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : A calm and stable dog. A good herd dog, very courageous and efficient fighter against possible animals prey (bear, wolf, lynx). Wary of strangers. He likes children.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : Harmonious, free, well coordinated, powerful and effortless. The trot is preferred. The gallop is sustained and balanced.
SKIN : Thick, tight fitting and well pigmented.
HAIR : The coat is abundant and the head and body, harsh texture, straight and minimum length of 10 cm. The undercoat is more dense and supple and of a lighter colour. On the limbs the coat is shorter. The tail is well furnished.
COLOUR :
Piebald : The ground colour must be white with well defined black or grey markings.
Solid colours : Solid white or solid grey.
SIZE AND WEIGHT :
Male : minimum 70 cm - ideal height 75 cm.
Female : minimum 65 cm - ideal height 70 cm.
Weight : In proportion to the size.

Romanian Carpathian Shepherd Dog

The Carpathian Shepherd Dog (Romanian: Ciobănesc Carpatin, French: Chien de berger roumain des Carpathes), is stout, solid, strong and due to its inward nature and temper is similar to a wolf.


Its eyes and attitude, in moments of fury, have something in common with those of a wild beast. But this can be explained because of its way of living, far away from the human society and always fighting with its enemies, the wild animals. Only the shepherd knew its docility, felt its blind devotion and courage. A tireless guardian and protector of the heard, it always show gratitude to its master. A tight connection has been established between master and his servant, a kind of relation that exists between those who live together, on the same fields, sharing both sufferance and happiness and facing the same dangers. The Carpathian Dog can love you for your kind words and affection shown to it but can also, full of anger, attack the enemy, who knows its courage and many times stands aside from its rage.


FCI-Standard N° 350 / 13.07.2005 (Excerpt)
Carpathian Shepherd Dog

ORIGIN : Romania.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 06.07.2005.
UTILIZATION : Herding dog used by Romanian shepherds in the Carpathian mountains for centuries to defend the herds while, at the same time, being an excellent guard dog.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs).
Section 1 Sheepdogs.
Without working trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The Romanian Carpathian Shepherd Dog was selected from an endemic breed present in the Carpatho-Danubian area. For centuries the principle criteria for selection has been utilization, this dog having conserved its character intact to the present day. The first standard was written in 1934 by the National Institute of Zootechny. This standard was modified and updated in 1982, 1999 and 2001 by the Romanian Cynological Association. The Technical Committee of the R.C.A. adapted the standard on 30.03.2002 to conform to the model proposed by the F.C.I.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Relatively large-sized dog, agile, never heavy, the general appearance being that of a vigorous dog. The body is rectangular, the croup is broad, slightly sloping, the chest is large and deep, the shoulder long and slightly sloping. Sexual dimorphism is well defined, the males should be taller and stronger than the females.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : A natural guardian and courageous, he distinguishes himself by his instinctive and unconditional attachment to the herd and his master. He is a dignified, calm and stable dog.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : Free, long-reaching movement. Vigorous and sustained trot. In action, the limbs are parallel.
SKIN : Ash grey pigmentation. The nose, the eye rims and the lips should be black. Ash grey or black preferred for the nails.
HAIR : The coat is harsh, dense and straight. The undercoat is dense and soft. With the exception of the head and the front part of the limbs where the coat is short and flat, the coat, of moderate length, is abundant all over the body. On the neck, the back of the limbs and the tail, the coat is longer - profuse coat on these parts being typical.
COLOR : Pale fawn overlaid with black (wolf-grey) of different tones, often lighter on lateral parts and darker on the upper part of the body. Pale fawn overlaid with black (wolf-grey) with white marks preferably non predominant.
SIZE AND WEIGHT :
Height at withers :
Male : Ideally 65 - 73 cm at the withers.
Female : Ideally 59 - 67 cm at the withers.
However the overall impression is always more important.
Weight : In harmony with the size, giving the impression of a powerful but not heavy dog.

Tismana Monastery

The Holy Monastery of Tismana is one of the oldest, the most important and the most beautiful monasteries in Romania. This monument, built in the middle of nature, is perfect for those who want to gather their thoughts, to be close to God and to know the Romanian Orthodox religion.


Settled on Starmina Mountain, surrounded by wooded, rocky peaks, the monastery took its name from a coniferous tree called “tisa”, that used to grow around here long time ago. On the occasion of some archeological works, there were discovered the ruins of an old Daco-Roman fortress; in the ancient language of the Dacians, the word “tismana” meant “fortified place”.


It was founded in the 14th by Saint Nicodim the Pious, with the financial support of the ruling princes Radu I (1377-1383) and his sons Dan I (1384-1386) and Mircea the Old (1386-1418) from Besserab dinasty. Near the monastery, there was a small church made of the wood of a big “tisa” tree. It was consecrated in August 15th, having the dedication on the Pure Vergin’s Dormition and it is historically attested in a charter of Leader Dan, written on October 3rd, 1385.


The architecture of Tismana Monastery is in the Byzantine style of the 14th century, resembling the churches in Macedonia and Athos, also showing a few Romanian architectural elements. The actual church of the monastery is built directly on the rock, following a triconic plan with steeples on the nave, pronaos and porch. Along the years, it suffered many transformations. The church was painted in 1564 by Dobromir from Tîrgovişte, being financially supported by the great magistrate Nedelcu. The painting is in the post-Byzantine style, in a polychrome fresco, applied on the initial monochrome fresco. In 1732, the archimandrite Ioan restored the painting in the Saint Altar and in the naos. In the pronaos, the fresco from 1564 was not destroyed but there was applied a new fresco in 1766. Beginning with 1955, the paining in the pronaos started to be prickled and placed on the walls of the museum and on the corridors of the hermitages. The first fresco, thje one from 1564, was restored. The porch of the church had been demolished in Prince Bibescu’s time (1842- 1848) and it was rebuilt in 1983, following Saint Nicodim’s plans. In the same period, the whole monastery and all its dependencies were restored, the coordinator of the restoration work being the engineer Ioan Sălăjan, the actual bishop of Harghita and Covasna. In 1994, the porch of the church was painted by Grigore Popescu from Câmpulung Muscel, in a Byzantine style, having an appropriate design and a discrete harmony of colours. The iconographic presentation is also unique, as some newly discovered Daco-Roman saints were painted for the first time.


The Monastery of Tismana had an extraordinary treasure, now lost because of the numerous hardships that came over the monastery during the centuries. A great part of the valuable objects of the monastery are now at the Art Museum in Bucharest. Among these objects, the most valuable is The Saint Nicodim’s Gospel – a complex work of art, valuable by the beauty of its writing and the miniatural ornaments. Its covers are made of golden silver. This is the oldest Romanian manuscript and the oldest silver cover. The museum also has a rich collection of mural paintings (taken from the pronaos in 1766), old icons on wood, religious objects, old books and clerical robes.


Inside the church there is a holy silver coffin, made by Gheorghe Stoica. It contains three pieces of holy relics of: Saint Nicodim, Saint Ignatie Theofor and Saint John the Golden Mouth, together with the cross worn by Saint Nicodim. On the cover and inside the holy coffin these saints are presented in medallions. On the exterior there are some life scenes and some miracles made by Saint Nicodim. In the porch of the church there is Saint Nicodim’s tomb, watched by an ever burning candle.




The Holy Monastery of Tismana is a special place not only for its wonderful position but most of all for its spiritual mission that was given to it in the life of the Romanian people. It is a holy place where we can feel close to God and His saints, it is a place where miracle is present every day. It cannot be otherwise, for when Saint Nicodim was on his dying bed, he promissed to give his love and help to all those who would come here, to Tismana (from www.manastireatismana.ro).

Antim Monastery

Antim Monastery is an architectonic, sculptural and pictorial complex that represents the synthesis of an artistic evolution in art and one of the 18th century’s most representative monuments of Romania. The Antim Monastery is located in Bucharest, on Mitropolit Antim Ivireanu Street, no. 29. The monastery was erected between 1713 and 1715 by the metropolitan bishop of Wallachia, Antim Ivireanu.


Sacred to "All Saints", the church was built after architectural plans drawn by Antim Ivireanu himself, a connoisseur of the arts of drawing, sculpture, architecture and printing. Two of the monastery plans, executed on paper and parchment, can be admired in the State Archives nowadays. Because of his artistic skills, it is assumed that the frescoes of the Antim church were executed under his direction, after his drawings, or that he took part in the painting of the ensemble, along with the artist Preda Zugravul. A testimony to this assumption is Antim Ivireanu’s manuscript, located at the Romanian Academy, where hundreds of painted medallions of biblical characters prove his talent as a painter.


Between 1860 and 1863, due to earthquakes, floods and poor maintenance, Antim Monastery entered a complex process of restoration, including the conservation of the interior mural painting. Next to significant architectural interventions such as the reconstruction of the two towers, the addition of a neo-gothic rosette in the narthex and the iconostasis replacement, the original mural painting was removed due to its advanced state of degradation and the church was redecorated with oil paintings by Petre Alexandrescu. The scene "Descent from the Cross" by Petre Alexandrescu is a copy of Daniele da Volterra’s famous painting, made in 1541 in the Trinita dei Monti chapel in Rome. By comparison, almost no distinction can be found between the two artworks in terms of design and general composition.


The most recent restoration of the church took place between 2004 and 2006 and focused on the conservation of the interior paintings. The restoration was based on a project made by conservator-restorer Gabriela Stefăniţă and the works were coordinated by architect restorer Claudiu Moldoveanu. The monastery also hosts a museum with religious objects and facts about the life of Antim Ivireanu. (after e-conservation magazine)

Macca-Villacrosse passage

The passage... this is a strange (but not unique) and comfortable concept: the covered street. The Macca-Villacrosse passage has got a French look but definitely an Oriental origin, as it used to host many little shops belonging to different merchants. The pedestrian alleys roofed with glass and wrought iron is now lined with shops, cafés and restaurants. The passage designed by architect Felix Xenopol, was completed in 1891.


On the site where the actual passage lies there used to be Câmpineanu Inn, bought in 1831 by Petrache (Petros) Serafim and his brother dr. Ioan Serafim. In 1843 Polixenia, the daughter of Petros, married Xavier Villacrosse, a Catalan,the chief architect of Bucharest at the time (1840-1850), and they received the inn as a wedding present.




The land in front of of Meitani Housee (current the Prefecture of Police), on Victoria Street, has been sold to the Philharmonic Society, who wanted to build here a Philharmony Palace. The land was bought then by a Hungarian entrepreneur, who built here Hotel Stadt Pesht with 9 rooms upstairs and downstairs with a coffee shop. Still used until the end of the century under the name of Villacrosse Inn, this was however demolished, being replaced by a complex of modern buildings. Among these buildings were built covered passages, as those that existed yet in other cities in Europe and began to appear in Bucharest. Since the center was occupied by the hotel Pesht, the owner refused to sell, the passage was executed with two wings around the two sides of the hotel, in elongated U-shape, covered with yellow glass meant to protect it from the rain and to nevertheless provide it with natural light.




The ground floor space was used for different shops, while the rooms upstairs were meant for rental. The Carada Street leg was called Villacrosse Passage, while the Calea Victoriei leg was called Macca Passage, after the name of the builder's brother-in-law. The passage played as the first host of Bucharest Stock Exchange. Nowadays it hosts various restaurants and cafés: a Blues Bar, to a bistro, a Chinese restaurant, a few Oriental cafes with water pipes and Turkish coffee...


At Panoramigu you can see 3D panoramas of Macca-Vilacrosse pasage (internet infos compilation).