partial capitalness

Abstract

The notion “capital” is not necessarily connected with politics. Sometimes a non-metropolitan city becomes so significant in its partial semantic field that it turns into a “partial capital“. Timişoara (Romania) was elected to become one of the 2021 European Capitals of Culture (together with Novi Sad - Serbia and Elefsina - Greece). Within the thirty two years of the tradition to annually elect a European capital of culture, many cities have played this role, both official capitals of European countries and provincial centers.

Romanian town-planners will tell us how a non-metropolitan city is getting ready for the role of partial capital. A world away, in the Cape Winelands, architects of Stellenbosch struggle for the identity of the city, the capital of the unique cultural landscape. Here the traditional African culture is mixed with three century-long tradition of winegrowing and winemaking.

This wonderful mixture was placed on the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage Sites. The authors of the project use cultural heritage protection laws to protect their city from chaotic development.