The Romanian Patriarchate has launched a major project to digitise the cultural heritage of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Romanians will gain online access to over 60,000 historical books, manuscripts, documents, and other valuable items from churches across the country.
The project will scan and digitally preserve 60,015 historical, artistic, and documentary items dating from the 15th to the 19th century. These will be made available in a digital library, enabling anyone to access them online.
The online library will be accessible not only to Romanians in the country and diaspora but also to international users through the national platform culturalia.ro.
The process involves selecting objects, scanning them in high resolution, organising the data, and publishing the images and accompanying information on a digital platform.
How will the project be implemented?
The project will be carried out over approximately three years, from May 23, 2025, to April 28, 2028, in partnership with the Archdioceses of Iași and Sibiu.
Digitisation and collection activities will take place across several regions of the country:
At the headquarters of the Romanian Patriarchate in Bucharest, work will cover the Bucharest-Ilfov, South Muntenia, South-West Oltenia, and South-East regions.
At the Archdiocese of Iași, the focus will be on the North-East and North-West regions.
The Archdiocese of Sibiu will coordinate efforts in the Central and Western regions.
The project is financed through European Union funds as part of the “Smart Growth, Digitalisation, and Financial Instruments 2021–2027” Program, managed by Romania’s Ministry of Investments and European Projects.
Photo: Basilica.ro
