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In a larger sense, the region called Mărginimea Sibiului represents a geographical, historical and ethnographical entity, including the chain of Romanian villages situated at the foot of the Sibiu Mountains. The following localities belong to the region called Marginimea Sibiului: Boita, Sadu, Rau Sadului, Talmaciu, Talmacel, Rasinari, Poplaca, Gura Raului, Orlat, Fantanele, Sibiel, Vale, Saliste, Gales, Tilisca, Rod, Poiana Sibiului and Jina. In other respects, Marginimea Sibiului is a territory of the old Dukedom of Almas, with its nucleus in the villages around the castle Salgo, Saliste (Magna Villa Valachicalis), the old seat of the Chair with the same name, Saliste being the most representative of the villages of this region.
The geopolitical position of the area, situated on the southern border of Transylvania with Wallachia and in the proximity of the city of Sibiu, a strong handicraft and commercial center, offered to this region some defining characteristics. Therefore, the localities developed their economies, based on agriculture, animal breeding and traditional handicrafts, sheep breeding being the most prevalent. Some of the communities practised the moving of flocks, the shepards leading their sheep to the Danube, in the region Dobrogea, up to the Caucasian pastures and the Balkan Peninsula. The inhabitants of the region Marginimea Sibiului brought their contribution in developing the conscience of the Romanians unity. They have an unusual dynanism, are hard-working people, very practical, good householders, sober and reliable. They have inherrited military skills from the old times when they were the guardians of the borders and passes. In the 18th century, Empress Maria Tereza established the 1st Romanian Border Regiment at Orlat crystalizing their military attributes. The greatest part of the villages in the area have preserved strong spiritual and ethno-folkloric traditions, conferring to these communities a specific aspect. The wonderful geographic site, the purity of the people and of the nature, the richness and the diversity of the cultural patrimony, turn this place into a region with a great touristic potential.

The Land of Făgăraş or The land of the Olt is one of the greatest and best inhabited basins in Transylvania, bordered on south by the Făgăraş Mountains and Perşani and on the north, north-east by the southern limits of the Târnavelor Plateau. The vigorous flow of the river Olt traverses it from east to west.
In spite of the huge amount of work required, the keeping of vineyards constitute a very old occupation in some regions of the land of the Olt. Almost every household has a little vineyard near the house, and each peasant prepares his own wine.
Animal breeding was the basic occupation of the village inhabitants. The animals were taken out to grazing: The cow herd, oxen and buffalos, horses, pig, or sheep flocks. Sheep breeding, traditional in this region, is practiced taking into consideration the principles of moving the flocks. In spring (in the beginning of May), the flocks of the village are established in their sheepfolds in the grazing regions of the village. The obtained products (cheese, wool, and leather) were taken to the village in order to be used in the household, and the excess was sold. The sheep remained in the sheepfolds until the first snow, when they came back to the village. The richer shepherds would then join together and would leave with the flocks to the Banat or Bărăgan, where they spent the winter.
Household industry in the land of Făgăraş has at its basis the originality of Romanians. Almost everything needed in the household, yard and outbuildings was made by the craftsmen of the village, who used to learn all the crafts necessary for the day-to-day life.
Woodworking is an old tradition in the region of the Făgăraş. The tools used in working with different types of woods (fag, oak, fir tree, sycamore maple) are traditional: The axe, hatchet, chisel, tesla, the chair-vise with knives, gimlet, plane, compass, etc. Decorating wood, through the cutting and incision techniques, is done using a relatively reduced number of geometrical elements, in the composition of which there is to be found the rosette in a circle, the sun, circle and semicircle (these representing the oldest motifs related to the culture of the sun), then the fir tree, the crossed and broken lines, rhombus, the knitted rope, the wolf's tooth and styled vegetation images. These compositions show all the specific characteristics of Romanian folk arts, representing the beauty and the natural characteristics of the wood.
Pottery has old roots in the region. Decorations are made through simple techniques – through incision, material application in relief and colouring by paintbrush or horn; decorations are dominated by abstract, astral and phytomorphic elements styled applied in frizes, garlands or vertical sectors. Other two occupations in the region are egg decoration and glass painting. These are practiced nowadays by only a few persons.
The Land of Făgăraş is often named the Land of the Cheese. The green ewe cheese, the soft cottage cheese, the cottage cheese, milk and sour cream maintain the flavour of the plants from the mountain grasslands. A feast for gourmands prepared with the region's specific tastes could be made of hen soup with noodles, force-meat rolls in cabbage, stuffed lamb, prepared in the oven or spitted, salted sheep meat, venison prepared after special recipes.

"The Land of Bârsa" also named "Basin of the Carpathian Curvature" or "Braşov's Basin" is a historical and ethnographical region in the south-eastern part of Transylvania, having Braşov as the most important town. Its name comes form the river Bârsa (Burzen), which flows into the river Olt.

Folk trraditions of special note are the various techniques of woodwork in this region: Carving, cutting, incision, wrapped up in metal, pyrogravure and painting (the last two forms especially in the case of spinning forks in the region of Săcele). The peasant furniture is decorated either through carving (in Bran's region), or through polychrome painting of floral motifs, anthropomorphic or symbolic figures. Specific for Braşov are the wooden chests of Braşov, solidly made and richly ornamented with polychrome motifs. The Hungarian craftsmen were also famous in the 19thth century for their carved and painted furniture, made in Turcheş, and Săcele. The carved funeral pillars from Crizbav and Apata also belong to the Hungarian art. The ornaments for decorative weavings contain characteristic geometrical elements representing phytomorfs and alternative rods. The specific colours for the Land of Bârsa are red-cherry, dark blue and red with black on white, and for Romanians in the villages near Bran, one can see yellow-orange streaks.
The best known customs in this ethnographical region of Transylvania are: Borda, which is a custom that honors the work of people who finished the harvest. Characteristic to this custom is the coronet of wheat ears, worn by girls. Dărdaica, a holiday from Feldioara, related to the maturing of the crops. Girl decorated with wheat ears and flowers go from house to house, irrespective of nation, singing and dancing „Taci dărdaică, nu mai plânge!" (Shut up, don't cry any more!). The Fair of Batchelors from Săcele is held every year, in the month of July. Other Hungarian customs are Ludnyakszorítás (breaking the goose's neck) and Tyuknyakszorítás (breaking the hen's neck) in Crizbav and Satul Nou, as well as Kakasütés (shooting the cock) in Săcele.

 
 
 




 
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