A műemlékek sokszínűsége (A 28. Egri Nyári Egyetem előadásai 1998 Eger, 1998)

Előadások / Presentations - ROMÁN András: Historic towns as monuments

permission. This is yet another good solution, which, however, is not satisfactory since these protected sites were identified very sparingly in Hungary, and therefore conservationist control is limited to small parts of towns and does not work beyond its boundaries. I myself think that the scope of the above-mentioned consultative function should cover a major part of the territory of historic towns, i.e. more or less what was built before the first world war, and in some cases more than that. And concerning anything located beyond those boundaries, the monument protection authority should be consulted when town plans and development plans are adopted, which is not the case as yet. Not, although these plans are to provide for the harmony and logical link between the existing, historic parts of a town and its new areas, which is unfortunately often lacking. Let me also touch upon what the International Charter for Historic Towns considers as qualities of historic towns to be preserved. These include „matériái and spiritual elements" the Charter reads, then adds especially: a) urban patterns as defined by lots and streets; b) relationships between buildings and green and open spaces; c) the formal appearance, interior and exterior, of buildings as defined by scale, size, style, construction, materials, colour and decoration; d) the relationship between the town or urban area and its surrounding setting, both natural and man-made; e) the various functions that the town or urban area has acquired over time", and may I add that the complicated wording of this last item in the Charter really refers to the spirit of the place, the genius loci and its assumption. The above five, concise definitions are the actual synthesis of a more detailed list of qualities the International Committee on Historic Towns of ICOMOS formulated when the charter was being worded. Let me quote this, too, for your information. It is up to you to judge which one is more useful, the shorter one, adopted in the charter, or the following detailed version: „Urban patterns, i.e. the system of main roads, the relationships of the particular areas of town, the link between the town and the natural environment. - The morphology of the town, i.e. the method of up-building (free standing, closed-line etc.), the general height, volume and character of buildings, the road network, the distribution of lots, the proportion of open spaces. The silhouette, i.e. the outlines of the town as seen from afar and its overall appearance as seen from major points of view, the interrelationship of outstanding building blocks articulating it. - The relationships of the town with the landscape, including the classical ratio of vegetation and up-building. - Within the historic town, coherent historic areas, ensembles, axes, squares deserve special protection. Since here historic monuments are in increased interrelationship with one another, special efforts have to be made to ensure their survival. - Any individual monuments located in the town, including those not part of the historic ensemble. - Any ancient fortifications and town walls located in the town. - Any internal view or scenery characteristic of the townscape. - Any green areas, alleys, water courses and water surfaces. - Any public statues, pieces of small architecture, streetscape components, covering materials etc. contributing to the townscape. - Any building materials, forms and colours, roofs and enclosures, railings etc. characteristic of the town. - The traditional intellectual centres in town (universities, churches, institutions) and any traditional manifestation of life in the town and the genius loci (traditional crafts, markets, shopping streets, pedestrian districts etc)" Let me conclude by saying that the recognition of towns as historic monuments is not a general phenomenon but is strongly opposed by many. Including even local governments, which fear that it could compromise their autonomy. Developers also oppose it, for they do not want to have a further authority to deal with when they push their projects aimed at nothing but the highest possible profit within the shortest possible time. And even those conservationists do, whose conservative and aristocratic approach insists on pretending that historic monuments are the assets, and only the assets included in the register of historic monuments, namely that the architectural heritage of Hungary amounts to 10,500 items, and that they have nothing to do with the rest.