The settlement is first mentioned in documents dating from the XIV century. The construction of the Saxon Evangelical church starts in 1250 and the surrounding wall is built in the XV century. The fortified church was a safe refuge for Giorgio Basta, the emperor's general, and the numerous attacks lead by Bethlen Gábor, the Transylvanian monarch's general all failed. In the 1732 fire both the church and the village burnt down. The church was rebuilt, it is only the belfry that remained the original.
Unfortunately, on 19 February 2016 the tower collapsed to the level of the wall surrounding the church, and destroyed also the organ.
https://www.welcometoromania.eu/

Rotbav Evangelical fortified church

Account

by category

Login

Name

by region

Title

Name in English

The Unitarian Church-fortress of Aita Mare has fortified walls, surrounded by a 5m high thick wall, with two bastions in two opposite corners. The fortress is located at the highest point of the village, also called “Raven’s Nest”. According to the documents, the defence walls were built in the second half of the XVIth century or
the early XVIIth century. In the inner court is situated the church, which reveals gothic architectural imprints. The most conspicuous elements of this religious edifice are the chalice-like pulpit, consisting of four boxes carved in stone, and a stone balustrade dating from 1710. Considering the antiqueness of the pulpit, it is the sixth oldest dais in Transylvania. Noteworthy are the inner boxes painted with colorful ornaments, specific to the local ethnographic area.
https://visitcovasna.com/

Fortified Church of Aita Mare

The church in Sânpetru was built in 1794, replacing a medieval basilica from the 14th century, which was demolished after its tower had collapsed twice. The new church was unusually provided with a western chancel and a tower was built in 1817. The interior was endowed in neoclassical style, from organ and scarcely decorated pillars to the column- altar in the chancel. Only ruins are still preserved from the exterior and second curtain wall. But the first fortification wall stands complete even today, preserving its five towers and the two level rooms built on its interior.
On the southern side of the assembly the old school and the old town hall were erected. The 13th century pre-reformation chapel was fortified in the 15th century by addition of two levels. Valuable mural paintings from 1400 decorate the chapel’s walls.
Place and surroundings
Sânpetru was founded in the 13th Century in the so-called Țara Bârsei, in a valley of the Carpathian arc. For centuries the village was on the edge of both Hungarian and Austrian sphere of influence and it was therefore exposed to attacks much more than other settlements in Transylvania. The imposing fortified church in the middle of the village repelled many invasions.
Yet, even this fortress could not stop the most dreaded enemy: the Black Dead. Legends tell of a mysterious stranger, an old woman dressed in black who was seen in Sânpetru every time before the outbreak of the plague. Beyond all legends, the strict measures that were taken to prevent the disease were historically certified. According to the monograph of the village, the inhabitants were prohibited from working their land on the same days as the people from the neighboring villages. Foreigners were denied access and breaking this rule could even have fatal outcomes for them. Even the coins were boiled, disinfected and pierced. The last great plague, which killed nearly 400 villagers stroke in 1718-1719.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

The Fortified Church in Sânpetru

The fortified church in Hărman was repeatedly besieged and attacked especially in the 16th and 17th century, but it was never taken. In January 1612 the villagers even succeeded to defend the castle against a strong 7,000 men army of the Hungarian prince Bathori.
The three-aisles Romanesque basilica, already strengthened by a defence wall, was equipped with a bell tower on the western side in 1290.
At the beginning of the 15th century, both the tower and the nave were adapted to the Gothic style and a second ring wall was erected. The first defence wall was heightened up to 12 m and strengthened by seven defensive towers and an outer bailey. A third wall, which did not survive to this today, surrounded the moat that was filled up in 1814. A parapet walk was built on the inside of the first defence wall, which is partially preserved today.
Remarkable are the granaries and the rooms attached to the southern side of the church.
The western tower, the tallest in Ţara Bârsei, was provided with a new spire in 1794.
The inner furniture mostly dates back from the 18th century.
A pre-reformation chapel in the eastern tower is richly decorated with outstanding frescoes depicting the Last Judgement and the Punishment of Sinners among others.
https://brasovtourism.app/

The Fortified Church in Hărman

From the newly refurbished square in Codlea one can admire the fortified church and picture its centuries-old history.
The bell tower dominates the fortified church in Codlea. Its walls reach a thickness of 5 m after having undergone several construction phases. The church was built during the 13th century and was transformed into a Gothic single-nave church two centuries later.
The first Ottoman invasion convinced the villagers of the necessity of a good defensive system. Thus an 8m high and 2m thick defence wall equipped with embrasure and machicolation surrounded the church. Granaries were also constructed in its interior, and so not only the lives of the residents were protected, but also their goods.
The interior of the church is dominated by the painted panelled ceiling, which was constructed at the beginning of the 18th century and consists of 252 panels. Also impressive is the 1783 organ, one of the most valuable instruments in Transylvania built by the craftsman Prause of Silenzia and decorated by the artist Oelhan.
https://brasovtourism.app/

Evangelical Fortified Church

Cetățuia de pe Strajă a fost o fortificație importantă de apărare, situată însă în afara Cetății Brașovului, cu scopul de a împiedica atacarea și mai ales bombardarea acesteia de pe înălțimile din jur. Cetățuia este situată la nord de Cetatea Brașovului (Centrul istoric al orașului), pe Dealul Straja (Dealul Cetății) între Brașovechi și Blumăna și este declarată monument istoric de importanță națională (cod LMI BV-II-a-A-11393). Cetățuia de pe Strajă nu trebuie confundată cu Cetatea Brașovului, ansamblul fortificațiilor care înconjurau actualul centru istoric al orașului.
Istoric
La începutul secolului al XV-lea, pe Dealul Straja (Martinsberg) exista doar un turn de veghe în formă de potcoavă, care a fost completat în anul 1524 cu un bastion de lemn cu patru turnuri. Turnul avea trei etaje prevăzute cu ambrazuri la etajele inferioare și cu guri de păcură la ultimul nivel.
Fortificațiile din lemn au fost distruse în anul 1529 de armata lui Petru Rareș după lupta de la Feldioara din 21 octombrie 1529, în care a învins trupele împăratului Ferdinand I de Habsburg și au fost reconstruite la mijlocul secolului al XVI-lea. În urma extinderii influenței în Transilvania a lui Ferdinand I, împărat al Sfântului Imperiu Roman, rege al Boemiei și al Ungariei, în Transilvania, contele de Arco, subalternul lui Giovanni Battista Castaldo, adjunctul militar al regelui Ferdinand, a cerut refacerea și întărirea fortificației. Astfel, turnul central în formă de potcoavă a fost extins între anii 1552-1553 cu trei turnuri mici de artilerie, asemănătoare bastioanelor. Ulterior, în anul 1611, Cetățuia a fost înconjurată cu un șanț cu apă și un val de pământ.
Ca urmare a unui incendiu din anul 1618 care a distrus schela interioară de lemn, Cetățuia a fost supusă reconstrucției în 1625 de către autoritățile principatului Transilvaniei și tot atunci a fost săpată o fântână de 25 de metri în interiorul curții, adâncită ulterior la 81 de metri, care constituia sursa de apă a Cetățuii, în caz de asediu.
În anul 1630 a început ridicarea zidurilor exterioare ale Cetățuii cu bastioane și porți de acces, lucrare terminată în 1631. Construcția avea forma de patrulater, cu bastioane în stil italian în colțuri și cu o singură intrare care se făcea printr-un pod mobil.
Ca urmare a Tratatului de la Karlowitz din anul 1699, Transilvania a trecut de la vasalitatea față de Imperiul Otoman sub stăpânire habsburgică. Brașovenii s-au revoltat împotriva noilor autorități, dar mișcarea a fost înăbușită și conducătorii ei executați. Trupele imperiale au expropriat Cetățuia, pe care au transformat-o în sediul garnizoanei austriece din Brașov și au transportat aici toate armele și munițiile orașului. În curtea castelului au mai fost ridicate și alte noi clădiri: barăci, depozite și reședința comandantului. Totodată au fost defrișate viile și livezile din jurul castelului și au fost construite fortificații exterioare suplimentare.
În anul 1773 împăratul Iosif al II-lea a ordonat renovarea Cetățuii, forma refăcută atunci fiind cea păstrată până în zilele noastre. Atunci s-a înălțat și turnul de formă hexagonală alipit potcoavei centrale, dar și construcția cu două nivele poziționată pe latura de est a nucleului fortificației.
Pierzându-și importanța ca fortificație de apărare, Cetățuia a slujit drept depozit și mai apoi drept cazarmă plăieșilor. De aceea, într-o vreme, dealul Străjii s-a numit și Dealul Plăieșilor.
După nouă ani de la ultima restaurare, Cetățuia a fost oferită orașului spre cumpărare. Pentru că brașovenii nu au dorit să o cumpere, fortificația a funcționat o perioadă ca închisoare în care au fost deținuți prizonieri turci din Războiul Ruso-Austro-Turc (1787–1792), iar pe durata epidemiei de ciumă s-a amenajat o secție specială pentru cei afectați de boală.
În timpul Revoluției de la 1848, Cetățuia în care se refugiaseră câteva sute de insurgenți, comandați de căpitanul de origine poloneză Jan Szydlowski, a fost asediată și bombardată de armata rusească chemată în ajutor de austrieci pentru a învinge trupele revoluționare. Aceștia au rezistat asediului timp de două zile cu cele patru (după alte surse, șase) tunuri dar, după ce li s-a terminat muniția și ajutorul așteptat nu a sosit, au abandonat pozițiile, au deschis poarta fortăreței și s-au predat trupelor rusești. Episodul acesta a avut și o parte umoristică, pentru că o mulțime de cetățeni ieșiseră pe promenada din fața zidurilor orașului ca la un spectacol, până când un proiectil venit din fortăreață i-a alungat de acolo înapoi în spatele zidurilor.
În timpul lucrărilor de reparații care au urmat asediului, în curtea interioară a castelului a fost construită o cisternă pentru apă, înlocuind vechea fântână.
În timpul Primului Război Mondial, în Bătălia de la Brașov din 24 septembrie/7 octombrie 1916 - 25 septembrie/8 octombrie 1916, poziția strategică a Cetățuii a jucat un rol important. În bătălia decisivă din 8 octombrie, armatele austro-ungare au înaintat spre Dealul Străjii, unde, cu prețul unor lupte grele, au cucerit înălțimile în cursul după-amiezii, trăgând de acolo cu mitraliere în trupele române din Blumăna și din zona gării orașului. Acest lucru a influențat foarte mult rezultatul bătăliei, forțele române fiind nevoite în final să evacueze Brașovul și să se retragă spre Predeal, pe vechea frontieră.
După terminarea războiului, Cetățuia a fost folosită ca închisoare militară, iar în anul 1932 a fost donată regelui Carol al II-lea.
Ca urmare a naționalizării din perioada comunistă, în anul 1948 clădirea a fost expropriată și a servit ca închisoare și stație de bruiaj pentru Securitate, iar din 1954 până în 1975 ca depozit pentru Arhivele Statului din Brașov.Cetățuia a fost apoi renovată și în anul 1981 Oficiul de Stat de Turism (ONT Carpați) a înființat aici un complex de restaurante în stil medieval. În același timp au fost create alei pavate, au fost instalate bănci și instalații de iluminat public de jur împrejurul fortăreței.
După căderea comunismului, ca urmare a privatizării ONT în 1990, Cetățuia a trecut în administrația companiei Postăvarul S.A., devenită din anul 2000 Aro Palace. În 2015, Primăria Brașov a început un proces legal pentru recuperarea Cetățuii de la SC Aro Palace SA. Ca urmare, interiorul castelului nu a mai fost vizitat din 2015, restaurantul a fost închis, iar zidurile fortăreței au început să se deterioreze.
Descriere
Cetatea exterioară, construită în anii 1630 - 1631, are forma de patrulater, cu bastioane în stil italian la colțuri. Poarta, care a fost odată un pod mobil, construită în peretele sudic pentru a comemora vizita reginei Carolina Augusta în 1817, se numește „Karolinenthorˮ. Turnul central în formă de potcoavă are trei etaje prevăzute cu ambrazuri la etajele inferioare și guri de păcură la ultimul nivel.
Cetățuia are o suprafață totală de 5.000 mp și este declarată monument istoric de importanță națională, format din Incinta bastionară (cod LMI BV-II-m-A-11393.01) și Castel (cod LMI BV-II-m-A-11393.02).}}).

Citadel Strajă

The Prejmer fortified church is a Lutheran fortified church in Prejmer (Tartlau), Brașov County, in the Transylvania region of Romania and the ethnographic area of the Burzenland. The church was founded by the Germanic Teutonic Knights, and then was eventually taken over by the Transylvanian Saxon community. 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
Around 1211, King Andrew II of Hungary permitted the knights to settle around Prejmer, where they began constructing a church in 1218, in Gothic style. They were responsible for the Greek cross plan, the only one of its kind in Transylvania, but found in a few churches in northeast Germany. Following their expulsion in 1225, the Cistercians, who took over in 1240, finished the church.
The triptych altarpiece, the oldest in the province, dates to around 1450; the main panel is joined to side panels painted on both faces, on two levels. The entire piece depicts scenes from the Passion of Christ. The Crucifixion is the central subject, four times the size of the other panels, over half this panel is gilt. The front side panels show the Washing of the Feet, the Last Supper, the Flagellation and the Judgement of Caiaphas; the rear has the Weeping Women, the Entombment, the Resurrection and the Myrrhbearers. The figures are simple and reduced to their essentials, their movements restrained or even statuesque, their clothing unruffled. The backgrounds are cursory, with the interiors showing only slight attention to geometric perspective. The colors are vivid, with the reds given a particular glow by the gilt background. The artist is unknown but was presumably trained in the Viennese school. A bell tower was added above the center of the church in 1461. The Greek cross shape was modified between 1512 and 1515: two side naves of unequal size were added while the main one was extended. The interior is simple and does not have traces of frescoes, while 19th century paintings were removed during restoration.
Fortifications and recognition
When Ottoman forces or other invaders would break through the Buzău Pass, Prejmer was the first place they encountered; the village was destroyed over 50 times between the 13th and 17th centuries, while the church was only rarely captured. Due to this strategic position, the church was strongly fortified in the 15th-16th centuries. After Sigismund of Luxemburg ordered defensive systems to be built in the Burzenland, high, strong walls were built and surrounded with a water-filled moat. It seems that a tunnel linked the church to the exterior. The circular walls are up to 5 m thick and reach nearly 12 m in height. The circular walls surround the church, while a second and smaller wall sits atop the arched passage at the entrance gate. Other defensive features include five towers and a battlement. On the interior side of the wall, there are four levels containing rooms and storage space and backed by the battlement. The over 270 rooms could offer shelter to some 1600 villagers in case of attack. Entry into the complex is made through a 30 m long tunnel protected by a portcullis with wooden grilles strengthened by iron and powerful oak doors. To the right of the entrance stands a large barbican.
Frequently damaged or altered, with the last stage of extensions and modifications happening in the 18th century, Prejmer was restored to its original form following a restoration between 1960 and 1970. The site is now a museum, visitors can see some of the wall rooms, climbing the many stairs and walking the corridors that join them along the wall, eventually reaching the battlements on the outside. In 1999, Prejmer, 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 wall and rooms, the outer wall, the barbican, the battlement and the arched gallery.

Prejmer fortified church

Located within walking distance of the Blacksmiths' Bastion on a rock hill Warthe, Black Tower dominates Brasov Şcheii with its dimensions, it must prevent the enemy from the walls near the town, there were more than 5 m of rock (only in 1819 - 1820 passage was widened).
Occupying an area of 50 square meters, the tower is 11 m in height, and measured based on its walls two meters thick. Drawing with six goals on each side of it, arranged in three lines of attack. The interior has three floors and galleries, more recently, the tower have a liaison with the city by a bridge that left up to the Blacksmith's Bastion.
No longer retain the original roof, was destroyed by lightning on 23 July 1559, and the fire of 1689 - have blackened walls of the tower and gave the name today. He was destroyed by lightning in 1696, but was restored as of 1735 shows an engraving print.
On the night of 3 to 4 July 1991, the southern wall of the tower collapsed after a downpour. Restoration took place in 1996 but barely. Today the museum has a point.
https://www.directbooking.ro/

Black Tower (Brașov)

Catherine's Gate (Romanian: Poarta Ecaterinei) in Brașov, Romania, was built by the Tailors’ Guild, in 1559 for defensive purposes instead of an old gate destroyed by a flood in 1526. It is named after St. Catherine's Monastery that was situated here in former times. It is the only original city gate to have survived from medieval times. In fact the central tower is only a part of the original gate; documents talk about the existence of a wooden structure which was demolished in 1827. The original structure can be seen at the Weaver's Bastion where the large model of Brașov in 1600 is displayed.
Old documents mention it under the name of Porta Valacce, the Vallah's Gate because it was the only entrance for the Romanians living in Șcheii Brașovului. They were not allowed to use the other four entrances. During the Saxon rule of the 13th to 17th century Romanians were forbidden from owning property inside the fortress walls and such they settled outside the wall in the neighborhood named Șcheii Brașovului. Romanians could only enter the town at certain times and had to pay a toll at the gate for the privilege of selling their produce inside the citadel.
The four small corner turrets (also seen in other Transylvanian towns) symbolize the fact that the town had judicial autonomy, and the "right of sword" (ius gladii), which was the right to decide on capital punishment. Above the entrance the tower bears the city's coat of arms, a crown on an oak tree trunk and roots.
At the present time Catherine's Gate houses a museum.

Catherine's Gate

The castle gained its current form after construction works commissioned by Earl Bethlen Samu, signalled by ornate family crest sculpted from stone, located on the gatehouse, and bearing the following inscription: Comes Samuel Bethlen Coma (comitatus) de Küküllő ac pedis siculialis Marus Capitaneus, atrobique supremus. 1700. – as well as the heraldic bearing plaited in a bay laurel, located on the ceiling of the castle’s largest room, called the Knight’s Chamber or the Council Chamber.
This is a perfect case of how the religious conviction of the castle’s lord has a profound influence on the faith of the serfs. During the time of the Unitarian, Sükösd György, the locals from Rákos were all Unitarian, without exception, and constructed their church in the service of Sükösd; when influenced by the Budai Péter, who was Reformed, most of the family became Reformed as well, and the previously Unitarian church became a Reformed church thereon. When the castle and the belonging lands were inherited by Budai’s Catholic godson, Earl Bethlen Sámuel, the local Catholic Parish gained worshippers as well.
To this day, the villagers mention the old lord of the castle as Bethlen Sámu “the snake keeper”, based on the heraldic bearing of the castle. Its last owner – is said to have been – Earl Teleky Samu, and it is likely that Orbán Balász wrote the following bitter words about him: “... yet the owner of the beautiful castle still abandoned it, and lives in the pestering atmosphere of Vienna, which is hazardous to both lungs and soul”. According to the castle’s current guard, Earl Teleky Samu bought the castle and the belonging forests and lands, a territory of 3000 acres, from the Alsórákos Szekler Commonage for the sum of 420,000 crowns. Today only the aforementioned guard and the caretakers of the bulls housed in the stable still live in the castle, the baronial rooms of which are otherwise empty.
The castle walls enclose a quadratic courtyard, with a round tower at all four corners. Roofed-in premises are joined to this surrounding wall from three sides. From the east, the wide, two-storied baronial residence, the residential rooms of which extend to the round tower, with the main staircase leading to the balcony. The gate tower is located at the centre of the southern wall, as well as a narrower row of rooms (secondary rooms, therefore), that housed the servants of the castle. Angled stairs ensure access to the two sides of the wing. The stable and hay rack are on the ground floor, while the granary is on the upper floor of the western side. Only the northern wall, defended with arrow slits, stands on its own. A ten meter deep well, with good, potable water, is located at the north-western corner of the courtyard. This quadrangle forms the actual castle. The towers are defended by low, exterior walls, protruding in acute angles. Some distance away a second wall, as well as a wide ditch between the wall and the main building provide and additional layer of defence, the only access point being at the gate tower. Another ring of walls once surrounded the castle, of which a few corner towers and a few low sections of walls remain. A part of these walls was demolished when the market-place was extended. The tasteful interiors of the baronial wing constitute a rich historical and artistic collection. The entrance of the ground floor is now walled in, its once elegant appearance being signalled by the low columns and crumbling covered porch, as well as the continuation of this section through wooden (formerly brick) pillars, placed parallel with the building. A straight staircase with a single balustrade leads to the upper floor’s main entrance that opens into the Council Room. The richly decorated woodwork of the door is grouped around two octagonal profiles placed one above the other, surrounded by bay laurels. The edges of the door are carved in an egg-and-dart fashion. Intricate rosettes are located in the middle of the octagons. The carved portions of the door are fixed into the strong board of the door. The doorway stands in a crimson stone frame, the ornamentation of which is in strong contrast with the building’s otherwise simple, relaxed exterior (only the windows of the Council Room have simple tympani).
The building belongs to the late renaissance, and was most likely constructed when the estate belonged to Earl Bethlen Samu. On both sides of the door, pillars standing on foot-stalls support a relatively weak girderage. The aspect of the girder is filled in by the conventional entwined foliage carved into it. The decorations of the ceiling have stood the test of time rather well. Wall has leaked through the roof and caused damage to the historical monument only in recent years. Pieces are already falling off; if action is not taken soon, then the building becomes unsalvageable. The castle’s courtyard has also started falling into ruin. Porches surround the courtyard, and of the eleven Doric columns supporting the porch from the northern wall section, ten have been removed due to fear of collapsing caused by the rotting of the wood and the soaking of the brick. The promise to keep the castle in good condition and preserve it from ruination, signed on the contract between the owner and town, therefore remains just that.
https://castleintransylvania.ro/

Sükösd-Bethlen Castle

The gothic-style Evangelical Church (built in 1495) in the village of Cristian (Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Grossau in German) stands on the site of a 13th century Roman basilica.
The church is surrounded by two rows of walls guarded by five towers (all erected in the 16th-Century).
Two underground tunnels have been dug to permit villagers to flee from the fortress to the forest or to a nearby monastery, in times of siege.
One of the fortress towers was called the Bacon Tower,
as the structure was used for food storage (especially smoked bacon).
To keep the food provisions cool, throughout the summer months, villagers would fill the tower's cellar with ice; and access to the tower was only allowed on Sundays.
A limited number of campers is allowed to overnight in the courtyard of the fortress.
https://romaniatourism.com/