Transylvania Trust

Call for applications

The Transylvania Trust, responsible for the restoration and revitalisation of Bánffy Castle, Bonțida, Romania, invites you, between to take part in a “hands-on” learning experience in the field of historic building conservation.

Transylvania Trust has been organising training projects since 2001 to address the lack of craftsmen and professionals in the field of historic building conservation. So far approximately 2500 participants from around 26 countries (Romania, Albania, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, France, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, etc.) have participated in our international training courses.

Duration of the courses

1st Module: 4th – 17th August 2019

2nd Module: 18th – 31st August 2019[1].

Who can apply?

The international restoration workshop is aimed especially at undergraduate students in Architecture, Structural Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Archaeology, History of Art, and other related fiels. The workshop can also be attended by craftsmen who seek to specialise in the restoration of historic buildings, but our training course is open to anybody interested in the field of historic building conservation, or who wishes to acquire practical knowledge related to traditional building crafts.

Why apply?

The two-week international training course offers the opportunity:

  • to learn the theoretical principles and methodology of investigation and restoration from qualified lecturers, as well as traditional building craft skills through direct, hands-on” learning,
  • to work on a real restoration site along with a team of craftsmen experienced in this field and to contribute to the restoration of Bánffy Castle,
  •  to meet people from a variety of professional and cultural backgrounds, widening one’s understanding of the field through interdisciplinary and intercultural dialogue,
  • to learn more about Transylvania, to discover the built and cultural heritage of the region and Cluj-Napoca, through the study field trip, respectively a free day on the first weekend.

At the end of the workshop, participants will receive a certificate of participation.

Course structure:

  • Theoretical training on the first day of the worksop. The lectures delivered by qualified lecturers from Romania and abroad will be translated simultaneously to Romanian, Hungarian, and English.
  • Practical training with the guidance of specialised craftsmen, focusing on 3 main areas:
  1. Structural interventions in historic buildings: vault restoration and rendering (9 days), mural decorations and specialised techniques (fresco, secco, sgraffito, stucco – 2 days),
  2. Stonemasonry – only in the 2nd Module,
  3. Carpentry, traditional joinery and furniture restoration.
  • Field study trip related to the built heritage of the region.

Registration details:

Participants can register online or through e-mail, sending the completed form (see attached) to the address: bhct@transylvaniatrust.ro.

Note: The number of available places is limited.

The registration fee is 350 euro per student (a contribution towards tuition, accommodation, and catering costs, which are offered on the castle grounds).

The deadline for application is the 31st of March 2019.

Full details of our restoration camps and our work can be found at www.heritagetraining.banffycastle.ro.

For further details please do not hesitate to contact us at office@transylvaniatrust.ro or bhct@transylvaniatrust.ro.

[1] This module is co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund, Romania.