Only the exterior walls of the central nave have been preserved from the former Romanesque basilica. The church was later rebuilt in the Gothic style and enlarged with a tower, followed by the defence systems in the 16th century: demolition of side aisles, addition of a defence level, addition of a battle platform on the tower. Two fortification walls with defence towers at the corners surrounded the ensemble by the end of the 15th century.
After a fire in 1748 that also destroyed the village, the church was built in its current shape.
The interior Baroque design originates from that period: the side and organ gallery, the organ itself, masterpiece of the famous organ builder Samuel Maetz, the altar and the pulpit created by master Philippi from Sighişoara.
Place and surroundings
How did Transylvanian villages defend themselves from Ottoman attacks in the Middle Ages? In the fortified church of Archita one can picture this very well: two fortification walls, which are strengthened by seven defense towers, protect the church. Parts of a wooden parapet walk are still preserved. From the massive bell tower one have a wide clear view of the surroundings. Between the high fortification walls and the church is the narrow confined space where villagers would have taken refuge from imminent danger.
At the inner wall the machicolations, openings through which the inhabitants would pour boiling tar onto their attackers still exists. In case of a siege the tar could be heated in a special room in the bell tower.
The hilly surroundings of Archita invite you to explore and you might also like to search for the ruins of the old village Wordt. The local legend says that the whole village succumbed to the plague. About one hundred years ago the knowledge of the exact location of the village sank into oblivion, too.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Archita Fortified Church

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After the old church was destroyed, a new construction was erected between 1521 and 1524 and finds itself in a well-preserved state today, as well as the polygonal ring wall strengthened by towers in each corner. The southern tower was replaced in 1819 with today’s bell tower. The aisle-less church with polygonal chancel was provided with defence level and machicolation between the buttresses from this construction phase.
The parapets of the 18th century three-side gallery inside the church are decorated with floral motives and paintings illustrating different fortified churches. The organ above the altar was installed in 1832 on the substructure of the original 1716 altar. One of the oldest inscriptions from Transylvania can be found behind this altar: 1524 is the year when the construction works of the church were completed.
Place and surroundings
The small settlement Cloaşterf in eastern Transylvania gave birth to many legends. Near the village are the ruins of a castle known locally as “Monkey Castle”. One says that a valuable treasure was once hidden behind an invisible iron door on the castle hill. From time to time this door appears out of nowhere. But it can only be opened with Mandrake, a magic plant.
In fact, once the remains of an urn and a golden coin with a Greek inscription of Alexander the Great were found here. The real treasure however remains undiscovered to this day.
According to another local myth the girl who finds the first vine with two small leaves on its tip will be lead to the man of her dreams by this branch. The girl should break the branch and put in on her hat. The first young man she meets on the way home from the vineyard she may kiss, as he will be her future spouse.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Cloaşterf Fortified Church

The neo-classical hall church with chancel and western bell tower was built between 1810 and 1813, after the collapse of the initial construction, first mentioned in documents from 1270. But there is no information concerning the aspect of this former church. It is, though, supposed to have been represented in a drawing on one of the church’s pews, dated 1793. The interior hosts the altar with organ gallery, the pulpit and the font, which were made partially at the same time with the construction itself, but also in 1822.
Only the ring wall and four defensive towers are still preserved from the 15th century fortification system, while the fifth tower collapsed in 1925 and was never rebuilt. On the southern side, next to the former kennel, only the ruins of the old Saxon school still exist today.
Place and surroundings
The fortified church in the village of Criţ, where more than 400 years ago the first village school law in Transylvania was enacted, lies on a hill in the middle of the place. In the past this location demanded a castle guardian who was a cobbler or at least a skilled craftsman. The steep ascent to the church is arduous and paved with round cobblestones. Many women, on their way to Sunday service, broke their footwear, which were heeled with horseshoes. A cobbler was therefore needed for urgent repairs before entering the church.
The church and the mostly preserved historic village are surrounded by an idyllic hilly landscape, ideal for walks to neighboring villages and fortifications. Tourist accommodation is available in several lovely restored farmhouses.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Evangelical Fortified Church in Criț

The 13th century late Romanesque pillar basilica was early prepared for battle by demolition of the side naves and fortification of the central nave and the tower by adding defence levels. The chancel was heightened in 1500 by adding a defence level with machicolations. The 1847 added tower marks the present image of the church. The interior impresses with its tall and narrow proportions, underlined by the two-story balcony on the northern side, erected between 1680 and 1775. The railings were painted by the Roessler family, grandfather and grandson. The fortification wall, originating in the 14th century was strengthen by four towers and had grain storage rooms on the inside.
Place and surroundings
In the hymn “Transylvania, sweet home” the verse “Transylvania, seabed of a flood long gone, a sea of grain now rests on the breast of heaven” is telling the story of the sea which once covered the region in Mesozoic times. The fortified church of Buneşti was built with marine sedimentary rocks as one can see from the fossils in the masonry. Residential houses of the same period were built with timber. When the village was under attack, the inhabitants took refuge from the looters and arsonists inside the fireproof fortifications. In times of war the massive tower was also serving as a retreat for the priest. The walls are still decorated with words of solace, bearing witness to those terrible times. Priest Johannes Nösner wrote these faithful words while hiding in the room: “Hör! Hast Vor eIne gVte SaCh, aber`s geht Von statt geMaCh, fahre getrost fort, nICht Verzag, es fäLLt keIn aLt EICh aVff eInn SChlag“ (Listen! You are on the right path, if the going is slow do not despair, no old oak is felled with one stroke). The highlighted letters in the original text are roman numbers, which add up to the year 1680.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Buneşti fortified church

Biserica evanghelică fortificată din Beia este un ansamblu de monumente istorice aflat pe teritoriul satului Beia, comuna Cața. În Repertoriul Arheologic Național, monumentul apare cu codul 40786.05.
Ansamblul este format din două monumente:
Biserica evanghelică fortificată (cod LMI BV-II-m-A-11605.01)
Fragmente ale incintei fortificate, cu turnul poligonal și cel sud-estic (cod LMI BV-II-m-A-11605.02)
Localitatea
Beia (în dialectul săsesc Mebrich, Męburχ, Mebriχ, în germană Meeburg, Mehburg, Mähdorf, în maghiară Homoródbene, Szászbene, Szászbénye) este un sat în comuna Cața din județul Brașov, Transilvania, România. Prima mențiune documentară este din 1442.
Biserica
Vechea biserică parohială medievală, dedicată Sfintei Ursula, a fost construită probabil în secolul al XIV-lea, devenită biserică luterană până la finele veacului al XVI-lea. Componentele gotice conservate până în prezent (frumoasa boltă pe ogive din cor, cu chei de boltă și console decorate, o cristelniță de piatră, ferestre cu muluri având forme diferite, contraforturi, portaluri în arc frânt la intrarea în navă și în sacristie, împreună cu un coridor exterior, sprijinit pe arce coborâte la contraforturi, unde s-au amenajat guri verticale de tragere) arată că edificiul a cunoscut o reconstrucție de gotic târziu, la sfârșitul veacului al XV-lea sau primele decenii ale secolului următor.
Cutremurul din 1702 a dus la prăbușirea arcului de triumf, nava fiind refăcută cu o boltă semicilindrică cu penetrații; a urmat reconstrucția turnului-clopotniță (1824-1825) cu patru nivele, aflat la vest de ea, având trăsături neogotice.
Biserica a deținut un valoros altar poliptic, cu legenda Sf. Ursula și celor 11.000 de fecioare martire atribuit lui Johannes Stoss (1513, an macat la baza scrinului central). A primit un coronament neogotic. În scrinul central s-a montat un Isus Salvator Mundi, statuie din secolul XVIII. A fost integrat într-un ansamblu tipic luteran de altar, retablu și tribună de orgă (sfârșitul secolului XVIII). Cu acea ocazie probabil s-a înlăturat coronamentul. Altarul, restaurat, s-a aflat din anul 2005 în biserica evanghelică „din deal” din Sighișoara, ulterior fiind mutat la Casa Teutsch, muzeul Bisericii Evanghelice și al sașilor.
Orga bisericii
Orga a fost realizată în 1912 de Karl Einschenk din Brașov. Era amplasată deasupra altarului. Orga este nefuncțională, biserica a fost în trecut spartă de mai multe ori, iar orga devastată.
Fortificațiile
Biserica este înconjurată în mare parte de o curtină cu planimetrie hexagonală neregulată, dezvoltată pe axa bisericii, de la vest către est. Se bănuiește că inițial, fortificația a dispus de mai multe turnuri, situate aproximativ la extremele planului, dar acum sunt certe doar două, diametral opuse, la nord-vest și la sud-est. Primul a fost ridicat pe o planimetrie hexagonală, cu guri de tragere în forma unor găuri de cheie întoarsă, cioplite în blocuri de piatră. Cel de-al doilea, cu planimetrie pătrată, se remarcă mai ales datorită unei cornișe ieșite în rezalit, de tipul celei întâlnite cu precădere în secolul al XVII-lea. Dispariția unor părți din fortificație (turnul de sud-vest și parte din curtină) se datorează unei intervenții de la 1900, materialul rezultat din demolare fiind utilizat la ridicarea unei noi școli. La scurt timp, în 1909, s-a prăbușit și o parte a curtinei de est.

Beia fortified church

The Dârjiu fortified church is a Unitarian fortified church in Dârjiu (Székelyderzs), Harghita County, in the Transylvania region of Romania. It was built by the Székely Hungarian community at a time when the area belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary. Initially Roman Catholic, it became Unitarian following the Reformation. The church is noted for its interior frescoes, and together with the surrounding village, forms part of the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Church and fortifications
First built in Romanesque style in the 14th–15th centuries, the church was transformed into a Gothic one in the latter part of the 15th century. The semi-cylindrical rib-vaulted arches, which reach into the nave and the choir, date to the first half of the 16th century. The vaults are supported by corbels that in the choir have carved decorations: a pelican with chicks, the sun, the moon, masks and a symmetrical plowshare. The buttresses date to the same period and are linked by a corbel and little arches that support the battlement. The church is 28 metres long, 7 metres wide and 20 metres high; the slate roof is from 1760.
The fortifications, erected in 1400, reached their final form around 1530. The 5 m high walls form a square; their bastions are at an oblique angle and jut out from the walls at all four corners. A similar bastion is found in the middle of the western wall. The fortifications' oldest and most visible element, the tower, is to the south of the church. The gate tower retains its original form, with openings for firing guns that can be closed with wooden shutters. Modifications in 1788 included the creation of storage spaces for the villagers.
Frescoes and recognition
The church's interior features a partly destroyed but valuable series of mural paintings. These Gothic, Italian Renaissance-influenced works were executed in 1419 by Paul of Ung; the most detailed is a Conversion of Paul the Apostle that includes the artist's portrait. There and in The Pursuit of the Cuman, part of a Saint Ladislaus legend group, Paul managed to integrate the subject into the composition's other elements. Other subjects he painted were the Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand and several saint-bishops. Beneath his portrait, in Gothic minuscule, he wrote a love declaration in Latin: "This work did master Paul, son of Stephen of Ung, paint and prepare, AD 1419; he wrote this inscription while keeping in mind a beautiful girl". The damage to the frescoes occurred when the arches were built and later, in the 17th century, when a pulpit was installed.
In 1999, Dârjiu, together with five other places, was added to the already-listed Biertan to form the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania UNESCO World Heritage Site. Additionally, the church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, with the fortifications being listed as a separate entry.

Dârjiu fortified church

The Saschiz fortified church is a Lutheran fortified church in Saschiz (Keisd), Mureș County, in the Transylvania region of Romania. It was built by the ethnic German Transylvanian Saxon community at a time when the area belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary. Initially Roman Catholic, it became Lutheran following the Reformation. Together with the surrounding village, the church forms part of the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Background and church
Construction of a large fortified late Gothic church began in 1493 on the site of a Romanesque basilica, and the main structure was completed in 1496. The church was dedicated to Saint Stephen of Hungary. A few payments from the authorities at Sibiu for building the church survive; these date from 1494 to 1525. From 1503 to 1507, the village received a Papal indulgence upon the request of a parishioner, and was no longer obliged to quarter troops or send provisions to the army of the Kingdom of Hungary.
The large structure, built of quarried stone, is a hall church strengthened by 22 high buttresses. The nave is very wide and long, while the choir is closed on three sides. A brick defensive level was built above the choir, while there are two such levels above the sacristy's vaulted ceiling. These floors are accessed through two small brick towers on the western part of the church. The defensive portion is slightly wider than the hall beneath. The nave ceiling, also vaulted, was rebuilt in 1878. The interior decor is mainly Baroque, with only the richly decorated choir pulpit being Gothic. Inscription fragments survive on the exterior walls. Among the church's features are the two arched portals at the north and south sides, the upper windows with their delicate Gothic details, the Baroque altar and its floral decorations made of carved wood, and the 1786 organ.
Fortifications and recognition
The complex was surrounded by a powerful defensive wall, the perimeter of which is today marked by a fence. The only surviving portion is the northern tower, which was fitted with a prominent spire in 1677, and is located 10 m away from the church. Its multicolored slate roof can be seen from afar; it has twelve dormers (three to a side) and four little towers at the corners. A nearby hill was once the site of a 14th-century citadel for protecting the peasants, but only ruins survive. It was located 2 km away from the village center so that people from nearby places could also shelter there, and was reportedly a gift from a childless woman who willed it to the residents. Legend has it that the hill is haunted by a noose-wielding protective giant who emits ghostly sounds on one night a year. This distance is one reason why the church was later fortified, so that the inhabitants would have readier access to a refuge.
Earthquakes in 1977, 1986 and 1990 damaged the church and tower, while the site's immediate proximity to European route E60 leaves it vulnerable. In 1999, Saschiz, together with five other places, was added to the already-listed Biertan to form the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania UNESCO World Heritage Site. Additionally, the church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, with the wall and tower being listed as a separate entry, as well as the citadel ruins.

Saschiz fortified church

The early Gothic hall church built in the 14th century with western tower and polygonal chancel was prepared for defence in 1495. The tower was fortified with a wooden defence level, as well as the nave and the chancel. While the vaults of the church were removed because of the risk to collapse during the renovation work in the early 19th century, the tower has been preserved in its medieval form. The fortification wall was protected with three defence towers, of which two are still preserved and an outer bailey was built in the 16th century in the south-western part. A part of this wall was demolished in 1888, allowing a school to be built in that space. The three sides wooden gallery, decorated with Baroque paintings and the winged altar from 1693 above which the 1914 organ is installed, dominates the interior.
Place and surroundings
If one follows the picturesque main street of Meşendorf up the hill, passing by fruit trees and old farmhouses one reaches the fortified church. The best time here is in spring during the tree blossom: dogs bark, rooster crow and horse carts pass by.A simple fortification wall with interesting details surrounds the church. During religious service one can hear the sound of a beautiful Wegenstein organ. There is an hourglass made of four glass cylinders in the pulpit. This allowed the priest and the congregation to ensure the length of the sermon was observed.
The enchanted atmosphere of the village is heightened by an old legend. The Kazkes, a mountain in the direction of Criţ is supposed to be the home of an evil spirit – the canter. This gruesome character will haunt those who dare to go on the mountain at midnight.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Meşendorf Fortified Church

The Viscri fortified church is a Lutheran fortified church in Viscri (Deutsch-Weisskirch), Brașov County, in the Transylvania region of Romania. It was built by the ethnic German Transylvanian Saxon community at a time when the area belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary. Initially Roman Catholic, it became Lutheran following the Reformation. Together with the surrounding village, the church forms part of the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Background and church
The Weisskirch ("white church") in the village's German name refers to a chapel built by the Székely inhabitants who lived there prior to the Saxons' arrival between 1141 and 1162, during the reign of Géza II. The building was rectangular, with a semicircular altar of greenish-white limestone. Four Romanesque capitals that survive in the choir, including one used as a baptismal font, also originate in this period. Coins and earrings found in graves both inside and outside the chapel were initially thought to date from the reign of Coloman (1095–1116), but a re-evaluation found that the oldest coin came from the late reign of Géza II, suggesting the remains were of Saxons rather than Székely.
In the 13th century, the Saxons built a Romanesque hall church that integrated the chapel but also introduced changes, such as a wooden seat gallery at the western end. The apse, its altar possibly of the Romanesque period, features a scalloped capital unique to Transylvania. The design was popular in 12th-century Germany but disappeared soon after reaching Austria, suggesting the church dates to no later than the first half of the 13th century.
In the 14th century the church became a community church. The apse was replaced by a larger trapezoidal choir. The church was fortified around 1500: the hall was lengthened and linked to the keep, formerly freestanding and probably belonging to the family of a count. Another level was added to the keep, used for bells and fitted with a battlement that stayed on corbels. The roof featured a sixth level with embrasures for firing. The choir's defensive level was demolished in 1743. Due to the peaceful nature of the period, the church battlement was taken down after that time, replaced by grain storerooms for the villagers. The interior ceiling has a ceiling divided into squares, also from 1743, around which time the austere furnishings were put in place.
Fortifications and recognition
In the 12th century, fortifications began to be built around the chapel. Forming an oval and made of river and field stone, the south, east and northeast walls have survived; these are 7 m in height. The entrance is through the southeast wall, to which two towers and two bastions were added in the 14th century. The south tower, built into the wall exterior, had three floors and a battlement resting on wooden corbels. Sharing a roof with the south bastion, the tower's lower levels were joined into a hall entered from the east. The topmost level kept its parapets, with their oak border and moveable logs that could shut in defenders. The south bastion battlement and roof were joined with those of the south tower.
In 1999, Viscri, together with five other places, was added to the already-listed Biertan to form the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania UNESCO World Heritage Site. Additionally, the church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, with the following being listed as separate entries: the inner walls and towers, the outer walls, and a 19th-century outdoor space for festive dances.

Viscri fortified church

A pier basilica, easily recognizable by its main features, constitutes the core of the fortified church in Caţa. Inside, the pillars with arcades are a typical Romanesque construction to connect the side aisles to the nave. On the northern clerestory two uncovered false windows can be seen. The Romanesque chancel as well as the apse were rebuilt during the 15th century in Gothic style. The cross vault collapsed 1894 together with the western tower and it was replaced later on by a flat ceiling. The tower was never rebuilt. The massive fortified curtain wall dating back to the 15th century still preserves four of initial six defence towers. The pentagonal “priest’s tower” offers views over the garden of the parish house. The assembly was provided with a second defence wall with outer bailey as early as the 17th century. Its northern side was demolished in 1884 and in 1937 for using the resulting material to build the school and the community hall.
Place and surroundings
The precise date of the village’s establishment remains unknown. While the first documented reference dates back to the beginning of the 15th century, the foundation of the Romanesque basilica in the village’s center was laid as early as 1250 and the church was also fortified later on. The village developed at the crossing point of two main roads, thus being often affected by enemy attacks and fires throughout the centuries. During the 17th and the 18th century the village was plundered and torched six times. A strong fire heavily damaged the fortified church around 1706, while the parish house and the school were entirely burned down.
With its 2.500 residents Caţa is today a rather quiet and peaceful place. In the village’s center, in the parish house lives the Transylvanian Saxon writer and film maker Friedrich Schuller. He restored the homestead where his father used to live as priest of the village and regularly hosts nowadays cultural and literary events: for example, in 2011 it was awarded here the first “Wordsmith of Caţa” price.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Caţa fortified church

The Romanesque basilica with buttresses, western tower and chancel with apse was finished in the mid-13th century, thus replacing the former 12th century church. In the fortification phase of 1494 defence levels were built on the tower, nave and chancel. The chancel’s walls were strengthened and heightened up to the nave’s eaves and the side aisles were demolished. In the same period an 8m high defence wall with 5 bastions was erected and it is still preserved today. The Romanesque western portal is decorated with some of the most valuable stone carvings in Transylvania. From the Romanesque construction time the twin blind-arcades, today functioning as windows, are still preserved as well as the walled up round clerestory windows. Ample restoration works have been carried out for several years now and have revealed frescoes on large areas. The valuable 1638 furniture was initially stored away because of the restoration works, but was later moved to a different church for safety reasons.
Place and surroundings
Centuries ago, inside the stone walls of the fortified church that bear the grey marks of passing time, one of the most important legends of Transylvania was born. This legend tells how the first Transylvanian Saxon settlers vowed eternal loyalty to the king, thrusting their swords into the sacred land and thus forming the sign of the cross. Back then they foretold that, as long as the two swords exists on Earth, their people would defend these territories. Yet, their people’s disappearance from Transylvania was predicted to happen along with the disappearance of the weapons. The swords were then sent to the most distant places of the kingdom, one of them reaching Orăştie, the other one going to Drăuşeni. Kept in the Evangelic church and honored throughout times as a symbol of courage and loyalty of the German people, but also as a testimony of their craftsmanship in creating weapons, the sword in Drăuşeni got finally lost in 1944 in the uproar of the war. Despite their disappearance in the darkness of battles, the two swords remained to this day on the coat of arms of the city of Sibiu: the precious symbol of an inestimable past.
https://kirchenburgen.org/