Processi di patrimonializzazione e ri-affermazione di gerarchie etniche in Transilvania

This paper contributes to the discussion on the production of heritage made by external experts in order to imprint a particular identity to an area and bolster tourism development. The case of the multi-ethnic village of Viscri, Romania, is analyzed through a qualitative research method. The study highlights that the image of the village, promoted by foreign experts and some influential local Transylvanian Saxons, is based on the heritage of the ew Saxon inhabitants left, considered as the most attractive and worthy of preservation, while the cultural identity of the bulk of the population, consisting of Romanians and Roma, is overshadowed. The historical thnic hierarchy “Saxons-Romanians-Roma” has thus been re-affirmed, in spite of the major changes that ccurred in the demography of the village. The experts have basically imposed a Western model of Heritage anagement following a paternalistic approach which implies that the locals are unable to promote their own ultural heritage and autonomously find their own solutions to their problems. The locals have been instructed y the experts on how to preserve and manage the traditional Transylvanian Saxon architecture. Study results indicate that the community does not necessarily perceive heritage in the same way the experts do. In fact, he village residents show mixed feelings towards the Transylvanian Saxon heritage and the restoration and evelopment actions related to it, with some residents acknowledging the tourist attractiveness of the Saxon heritage and thus accepting their role as custodians, a