CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Leca, Irina |
|---|---|
| Title | From Heritage Sites to Healing Spaces: A Therapeutic Landscape Approach to Heritage Management in Baile Govora, Romania |
| Summary | This thesis began in response to the deteriorating condition of the historic built environment in Romania, which has been my professional focus since 2009. The thesis tackles historic spa resorts, with a particular focus on Băile Govora, a site I have been working on since 2020. The research aims to reposition heritage within a broader therapeutic landscape and explore ways to connect their preservation with contemporary health and well-being practices, as spa resorts are primarily places of healing. The first chapter examines the concept of therapeutic landscapes and related values and attributes, with particular attention to Western examples such as the Great Spa Towns of Europe transnational serial UNESCO World Heritage property. The second chapter delves into the development of Băile Govora’s therapeutic landscape, tracing historical events and policies that have shaped the evolution and management of the resort through three political regimes in the last 150 years. It also discusses the town’s current challenges, arising from changes in mass tourism and shifting economic and social contexts after 1989. The third chapter further provides an overview of national policies influencing heritage conservation and spa resort development, emphasizing both limitations and opportunities that are now relevant to Băile Govora and its therapeutic landscape. The final chapter establishes connections between heritage, health, and wellbeing, positing that despite the risks Govora’s heritage assets are facing, these attributes represent valuable opportunities for community revitalization and the innovation of health and wellness practices associated with spa tourism. By presenting the Govora Heritage Lab program, implemented by Studiogovora, a local NGO dedicated to heritage preservation in Băile Govora which I am part of, the thesis offers a practical case study that illustrates how heritage can be integrated with health and wellbeing initiatives. |
| Supervisor | Alice Choyke |
| Department | Medieval Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/leca_irina.pdf |
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