After the collapse of the original Romanesque church in Şaeș in 1802 the ruins were entirely removed and replaced with a neo-classical hall church with narrowed chancel and western bell tower, completed in 1820. The facades of tower and church show a subtle composition of pilasters and cornices. A pyramid roof covered with color glazed tiles caps the tower. On top of the pyramid a lantern is placed covered with metal sheets and decorated with garlands made of metal.
The interior of the church appeals by its consistent original design and inventory. A remarkable detail is the entrance door, an empire jewel.
The remains of the fortifications consist of parts of the curtain wall, a defense tower and a defense building. The latter is supposed to have served as a chapel during the construction of the new church. Unfortunately the total loss of this building must be faced because of its very bad condition. The church itself shows severe structural problems as well, that should be tackled in the near future.
Place and surroundings
The Hungarian name of the village, Segesd, derives from the word “seg”, which can be translated as “the back side of the hillock”. Yet, the village never was on the backside of history. During the last 400 years it was considered one of the most prosperous Saxon colonies around Sighişoara, its proximity to the city conferring it numerous advantages along the centuries.
The School on the Hill in Sighişoara, one of the oldest schools in Transylvania, has the name of “Josef Haltrich Theoretical Highschool” nowadays. Haltrich, an educator, a philologist, a priest and a renowned Saxon ethnographer was the rector of the institution beginning with 1869. He quit this position three years later, becoming a priest in Şaeş, where he worked until the end of his life, also being buried there. The name of the ethnographer is often associated with a collection of stories, which he published in 1856 in Berlin with the help of the famous Jacob Grimm, under the title “Popular German Stories from Transylvania, the Country of the Saxons”.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Șaeș fortified church

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Like many other Fortified Churches to be found in Transylvania, due to the numerous changes in building structure during time, the start of the construction is not really known for Apold Fortified Church. But still, we have an estimation of the period when the building was completed, somewhere around the 15th-16th century. Apold village, in Mureș county, was during those times one of the most populated villages around Sighișoara city, with 89 families. After 1990, when the local community left, very few Saxon origin people remained. Still, we are able now to visit this beautiful church, with the outside wall and the connecting tower.
https://romanian-romance.com/

Apold Fortified Church

10 km from Daneș, in Cris, in the middle of a beautiful dendrologycal park, we can find a castle. The history of the castle is just as boisterous as that of its owners.
Long ago the Bethlen dynasty built a fortification here in German style, which in 1400 during the restoration was redesigned for a castle. The heirs of the Bethlen dynasty, Anikó, Éva, and Ágnes are living in Târgu Mureș.
Countess Anikó, the founder of the Bethlen foundation, revendicated the 1949 nationalized castle. After finally regaining the castle, in September 2004, the cultural minister appealed against the act. The countess hopes that after regaining ownership of the castle.
In November 2007 the Bethlen family heirs founded Pro Castrum Bethlen Union, which deals with restoration of the castle, and the inclusion of the tourist circuit.
https://www.welcometoromania.eu/

Betlen Castle (Criș)

The small tower-less late Gothic church in Daneş was built in 1506. The tower was much later erected in 1927, as well as its defence levels, probably as a sign of self-assertion towards the 1918 new Romanian state and as a symbol for the 800 years of Saxon history in Transylvania. From the original defence wall only a few remains on the south side and a gate tower with a small watchtower are still preserved. The inner furniture dates back to different time periods: the baptismal font and the pulpit are Baroque, the altar is from 1878 and the organ from 1920. The vault covering the church’s hall was built in 1868.
Place and surroundings
The village of Daneş, located few miles west from Sighişoara was documented for the first time mid-14th Century. The reports from the following years describe many difficulties and misery. Due to the great poverty of the place, between 1503 and 1507 a tax rebate was documented. Around 1507 the village burned down completely. Less than 50 years later, the unfortunate happening occurred again in 1555. At the beginning of the 17th Century the place got broke as result of civil wars and the number of the local farmers fell in just 15 years from 90 to 7. Because of the slow development of the village, tax exemption and other benefits were offered starting with 1656 to any colonist willing to settle here, but the success was only moderate. In 1658 the Ottoman troops attacked and destroyed the village once more. Only from 1665 colonists coming from Sighişoara were able to revive the place. Despite all the problems, the fortified church wrote its own history, as regular worship services are still regularly held today, as it has always been starting with the 16th Century.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Daneş fortified church

The entrance of today’s church that was probably built in the 15th century from the remains of an older church, is located higher than it was initially. The floor of the nave was also raised by 2m, due to the repeated floods caused by a water stream which flows close to the fortification and which has brought over 3m of alluvial deposit over time, both inside the fortification and around it. The defence story comprises a first level built with stone, above which a second wooden level was raised and endowed with a parapet walk on buttresses and wooden consoles.
The circular palisade that defended the church for 200 years was replaced in the 16th century by a fortified wall with defence towers.
Inside the church there is a fountain from which villagers and tourists can obtain clean drinking water.
Place and surroundings
There is a remote historical mystery flowing along with the water of Hârtibaciu river passing by Brădeni: the enigma of the more than 300 Saxon chests that secretly doze in the attic of the fortified church. Although these medieval chests hide neither gold nor other treasures in their wooden wombs, they are considered to be unique historical assets in Europe. Their age and origin cannot be precisely determined. They are adorned with mysterious paintings of fantastic beings, the style being impossible to assign to a particular epoch. Students of the course of study „Architecture, Engineering and Conservation” of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hildesheim, Germany thoroughly researched and analysed the chests within the frame of a conservation project. Visitors can find out more about the work of the students as well as the history of the chests thanks to very informative boards boasted in the fortification.
This discovery is not the only peculiarity of the place. Long time ago it used to live here an earl named Kirr and his castle had a tunnel that led to the church. The end of the tunnel is still in place today. The earl is said to have buried a treasure, a clucking hen with gold-made chicken, right in the place where the shadow of the top of the church fell at noon. Nevertheless the Saxon name of the village can be translated as “The Hen’s Village” and the treasure couldn’t be found up to now.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Brădeni fortified church

The fortified church of Malancrav is closely connected to the Hungarian family Apafi, as this family was given the whole village by the king of Hungary.
According to certain hypotheses, the originally large church with three parts within was built by Gregor, in the early 14th century, the son of Nicolaus. From the middle, or main part, there are four arcades which connects it to the side parts. On a stone it is still visible the emblem of the Apafi family and the following lines: Gentile scuttum appae appae (the shield of the Apafi family). In the 17th century below the sacristy was made a place for the sarcophagi of Apafi Mihaly II, and this is the hand-work of Illes Nicolai, being taken to Budapest in 1900, to the National Gallery.
In the church it can still be visible the most well-structured and visible gothic painting from the 14th century and on all of these pictures, all the 53 the New and Old Testament is being painted. The picture of the main altar which includes Saint Mihai angel along with Saint Clara looking upwards on the Virgin and her son, was given as a gift to the church by Clara, the wife of Mihai Apafi. The church was fortified in the 16th century.
https://www.welcometoromania.eu/

Malâncrav Evangelical fortified church

Have you ever seen yourselves in a centuries old mansion with rooms breathing history, old furniture and a fruit orchard?
The Apafi Mansion is one of the remarkable buildings of the Hârtibaci Valley. The history of the mansion from Mălâncrav goes back well over 600 years, to the 15th century when it was built by the Apafi royal Hungarian family.
In time the building has suffered numerous modifications, however they were all written down in documents. This happened because the mansion was the residence of Michael Apafi, lord of Transylvania and then that of his successors and of the Bethlen family of aristocrats.
In 2007, after several years of renovations, the mansion was opened to the public. It was renovated according to an initial blueprint from the 13th century with five bedrooms, one living room and one library with old, priceless books.
If you visit the mansion in summer you will also enjoy the flavour of the fruits from its garden, which was also restored based on models from old cards and drawings.
http://www.sibiu-turism.ro/

The Apafi Mansion in Mălâncrav

Inside the small village a hall church was erected in the 15th century, its chancel being closed by a polygonal construction. A tower with defence level and spire was built on the western side of the today standing Gothic church. As suggested by the buttresses, the interior of the church was most probably covered with vaults, which were later on replaced by a flat ceiling. Only ruins are preserved from the defence wall. Inside the church the valuable works of two well known masters from Sighişoara can be admired: an altar built in 1789 by Johannes Folberth, and above it an organ with late Baroque prospectus that Samuel Binder built in 1850.
Place and surroundings
Located near “The Medieval Jewel of Romania”, Sighişoara, the village of Hetiur can be considered itself a historical precious stone. The walls of the fortified church hold, in a protective embrace, the valuable 1789 Baroque-style altar. The roots of the altar, as a place of worship, are much more deeply implanted in the past. Its name derives from the Latin term “alta ara”, which means elevation of the ground (initially, the altar was a pile of ground or stones). It symbolizes the meeting place between man and Divinity, in the majority of cultures being represented as the image of a table where man and his Creator sit together. In Christianity, the altar was a simple wooden table at first, later a stone table, finally being elevated over the martyrs’ graves in the shape of a sarcophagus. Over time, these simple constructions transformed themselves into real art works, the most important types being the following: the canopy altar (a Balanchine supported by columns), the winged altar (made of multiple paintings and panels) and the predella altar (the base of a painting representing scenes related to its main subject).
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Hetiur Fortified Church

Biserica evanghelică fortificată din Iacobeni, comuna Iacobeni, județul Sibiu, a fost construită în secolul XIV. Ansamblul bisericii evanghelice fortificate este monument istoric, cod LMI SB-II-a-A-12402, cu următoarele obiective:
cod LMI SB-II-a-A-12402.01 - Biserica evanghelică fortificată, secolul al XIV-lea - primul sfert al secolului al XVI-lea;
cod LMI SB-II-a-A-12402.02 - Incintă fortificată, cu turnuri, încăpere pentru provizii, turn de poartă și zwinger cu turn-casă a paznicului, mijlocul secolului al XVI-lea.
Istoric
Se pare că biserica-sală gotică, care datează de la începutul secolului al XIV-lea, ar fi fost construită pe locul uneia mai vechi, distruse probabil de tătari în invazia lor din 1241.
Descriere
Turnul-donjon din capătul de vest al sălii a fost construit în secolul al XV-lea și este cel mai mare dintre toate cele aflate pe Valea Hârtibaciului. Zidurile lui au o grosime de circa trei metri, înălțimea lui fiind de 26 de metri. Latura nordică a donjonului depășea biserica, el fiind mult mai lat. Acest fapt a determinat modificarea sălii prin lărgirea ei spre nord. De asemenea modificările aduse a determinat devierea intrării și la dreapta ei au fost făcute scările din piatră ce duc spre nivelul doi al donjonului prin interiorul zidului din vest. La nivelul doi, mai târziu, s-a păstrat tradiționala slănină. Nivelul al treilea avea accesul prin intermediul unei scări ce escalada înălțimea prin interiorul peretelui estic. Nivelurile al patrulea și al cincilea au metereze pentru arcași și trăgători. La ultimele caturi, al șaselea și al șaptelea care sunt deasupra nivelului bisericii se regăsesc pe toate laturile metereze. Drumul de strajă este suspendat prin intermediul consolelor din lemn și adăpostește trei clopote făcute în secolul al XX-lea.
Nava și corul au fost fortificate cu un etaj de apărare ce are prevăzut un parapet înalt de 2 m cu metereze sprijinit pe arcuri de apărare, care se desfășoară între cei 18 contraforți ce înconjoară biserica. Între arcadele contraforților sunt mașiculi prin care se arunca apă clocotită sau smoală topită asupra asediatorilor. Acoperișul a fost renovat în anul 1602, dovadă în acest sens stând inscripția de pe una dintre bârnele lui. Atât nava cât și corul au fost construite inițial la aceeași înălțime. Ulterior, nava a fost acoperită cu o boltă în rețea în stil gotic, rețea dotată cu nervuri din teracotă. Între ele, trecerea se face prin intermediul unui arc triumfal gotic a carui finisare este destul de simplă. Deasupra corului este construită o boltă-n cruce cu absidă pentagonală, bolta fiind lucrată rudimentar în rețea. Toate aceste caracteristici tind să antedateze nava și corul față de restul edificiului.
În frenezia lor pentru siguranță, locuitorii Iacobeniului au ridicat turn și peste sacristie, acesta având cinci etaje, cu drum de strajă placat cu scânduri. Pereții sacristiei au fost dublați, grosimea lor ajungând la circa trei metri la bază. Intrarea în turn se făcea prin partea vestică utilizând o scară mobilă de la nivelul al doilea, interiorul său fiind construit în întregime din lemn. Pe peretele nordic au fost construite tribune cu tăblii pictate, începând din anul 1784. Aceste tribune au fost lărgite în anul 1805, ele sprijinindu-se pe console din lemn și coloane.
După 1990 biserica a suferit modificări neconforme cu statutul unui monument istoric de o asemenea importanță, modificări făcute de către controversatul preot Don Demidoff. Acesta a prevăzut biserica cu geamuri termopane cu tâmplărie PVC, care înlocuiesc ancadramentele gotice iar portalul de intrare în biserică este înlocuit cu o ușă termopan. Treptele de piatră au fost acoperite cu gresie iar interiorul edificiului este bogat decorat cu neoane albastre, fosforescente.
Fortificația
Biserica este înconjurată de ziduri cu un traseu neregulat, a căror greutate se sprijină pe contraforți, pe partea abruptă a dealului. Turnul porții are două niveluri, un drum de strajă cu parapet și o intrare care se bloca printr-o hersă. În partea nordică s-a construit o curte ce era apărată de către un bastion care ulterior a fost transformat într-o casă cu destinația de locuință a paznicului. De asemenea în partea sud - estică a incintei exista un turn, astăzi demolat. A supraviețuit timpurilor, turnul ce se găsește în porțiunea de unde pornește dealul (sud-vest), turn ce are trei uși suprapuse în partea nordică a lui, câte o fereastră la catul al doilea și al treilea, ferestre prevăzute cu o ambrazuri pictate cu elemente geometrice de culoare brună, roșie și neagră.

Iacobeni fortified church

The accurate date of construction of this church is not appropriately known, thus it is only said to be done around 1390. The large walls which were built in the 16th century, being 4-5 m high are protecting an old church. The entrance of the fortress church is at its eastern side.
The protecting towers are situated in the middle part of the fortress' walls, and the labyrinth is situated in front of the towers. The walls of the small church are fortified with ten pillars. This church has a beautiful ceiling with some woodcraft.
The altar is simple, above which we can find the organ, unfortunately which is not functioning anymore. At the southern part of the chore there is a date 1507, which signifies the date when it was finished along with the ceiling. In the earthquake of 1916 the church was a little bit destroyed and the ceiling also destroyed and there was constructed a wooden ceiling instead. The big chair is in a good shape just like the paintings on the walls.
https://www.welcometoromania.eu/

Valchid Evangelical fortified church

In Stejărişu a small, well-preserved fortified church can be visited. The former church and its surrounding village located just few miles away had to be abandoned because of persistent flooding, the construction of the new house of God started in the 14th century. Directly on the riverside of Hârtibaciu the foundations of a church were discovered, which point to the historical location of the village.
A few miles away and slightly uphill, in the middle of the new village a church was erected and surrounded by two ring walls. The two defensive towers were supposed to offer additional protection. A defensive level was built in the timber frame construction technique above the nave. Mid-19th century, the community dismantled the inner ring wall to use the stones for an extension of the church.
Due to many extensive repairs, the fortification preserves a good structural condition today.
Place and surroundings
It is a miracle that Stejărişu still exists, because it was not easy for the forefathers of the place. In the 13th Century German settlers came to the Hârtibaciu valley and founded a village. They have built houses, cultivated the fields and built themselves a church. After severe floods, the village was destroyed and it had to be moved a few miles uphill. During this time, threatening came not only from Ottoman attacks, but more than 100 years fought the Saxon nobles and the people of Sibiu provost for the possession of Stejărişu. The inhabitants of the village could not be discouraged by all the problems and stayed.Today, more than 600 years later, the fortified church survived as a witness for those old difficult times. It is located in the middle of a picturesque Transylvanian Saxon village.
An Austrian-Romanian Foundation supports local development and rural tourism. In the parish house close to the church guestrooms are available. Inside the fortification the visitors can buy homemade jams, honey, juice and other products made in the village.
https://kirchenburgen.org/