The synchronism of cultural values as an expression of visual language – an eminently patrimonial virtue

Abstract

The article investigates the phenomenon of the synchronism of cultural values through the lens of visual language, using the Orheiul Vechi site as a case study for the confluence between local tradition and European transcultural flows. The research objective consists in analyzing how vernacular architecture in the villages of Butuceni and Branesti conserves intergenerational messages, operating as a cultural palimpsest and a laboratory for the formation of professional identity for future architects. Methodologically, the approach is based on an analyticaldescriptive perspective, evaluating the mechanisms of sociocultural integration of archetypal symbols. The analysis highlights defining morphological units, such as the lotus motif on the porch pillars and the anthropomorphic gate pillars – elements that prove an organic synthesis between stylistic innovation and the national identity matrix. Furthermore, the study details how solar symbols and the ”Tree of Life” are plastically transcribed in stone, reflecting an authentic local cosmogony. Special attention is paid to the chromatic dimension, where the binary between the ultramarine blue from Butuceni and the diversified polychromy from Branesti becomes a semantic indicator of ethnocultural stratifications. This article emphasizes the critical dissonance between the imperative of modern comfort and the necessity of preserving authenticity.