In the old documents the settlement is called Maria’s Valley (Marienthal); legend has it that Maria was a young woman who set up the village together with a group of Saxon colonists.
As soon as they got here, around the year 1260, the Saxons built a three nave basilica with a belfry and a tribune facing the central nave for the chief of town. However, to defend themselves from the constant attacks of the Turks, in 1500 they fortified the church by adding a precinct wall and some defence towers.
Under the church floor there is a well which was used to supply water to the locals withdrawn inside the church during the invasions.
At first the baroque altar had seven sculpted statues; only one of them is left today, the one representing Jesus Christ.
In the tower there are three bells, the biggest seemingly built in the 15th century and bearing an inscription with capital letters.
http://www.sibiu-turism.ro/

The fortified church from Merghindeal

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The Romanesque three-aisles basilica originated from the 13th century and was re-shaped through fortification systems in 1500. On the original tower-less church a strong dungeon with defence level was built on the western side and the square chancel was strengthened with walls in such a manner, that it was possible to build another defensive tower there. At the same time, the side aisles were heightened and the building became a hall church. The central nave and the aisles were covered with fine lierne ribbed vaults. In the course of this work the rectangular precincts wall with four corner towers were also built, possibly as a replacement for an older system. The fortified buildings erected in the 16th and 17th century were used in part as accommodation. The ensemble was completed in 1914 by the construction of the community hall on the southern side. The pre-reformation crucifix above the triumphal arch was created in 1425.
Place and surroundings
Over the wooded hills on the edge of the valley of the river Hârtibaciu one will reach the village Dealu Frumos. The well preserved and typical for Transylvania fortified church with its white walls and red tiled tower roofs can be seen from far away.
The assembly was built in the center of the village to be easily accessible for all inhabitants in case of attacks. If time allowed, the cattle were driven behind the walls too, so it would not fall into the hands of the enemy. Groceries, cereals and bacon were stored within the massive walls. In the first half of the 16th Century the courtyard had to be enlarged due to the increase of the population. 100 years later another part of the wall was moved outwards to make space for more storage rooms. The whole community carried out the dismantling and rebuilding works, while the ongoing maintenance of individual sections was assigned to the various guilds in the village.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Dealu Frumos fortified church

Biserica evanghelică din Veseud este situată în satul Veseud, din comuna Chirpăr, județul Sibiu. Biserica a fost construită în secolul al XIII-lea și figurează pe lista monumentelor istorice 2010 sub codul cod LMI SB-II-a-B-12587, cu următoarele obiective:
Biserica evanghelică fortificată, cod LMI SB-II-m-B-12587.01, secolul al XIII-lea, secolul al XVI-lea, 1784 - 1785
Incintă fortificată (fragment), cu turn de poartă, cod LMI SB-II-m-B-12587.02, secolul al XVI-lea - XVIII-lea
Localitatea
Veseud, mai demult Vesăud, Veseud-Agnita (în dialectul săsesc Tsît, în germană Zied, Ziedt, în maghiară Szászvessződ, Vessződ), este un sat în partea de est a județului Sibiu, în Podișul Hârtibaciului. Aparține de comuna Chirpăr. Localitatea se află la 6 km sud de Agnita și a fost prima oară atestată în 1379. Biserica și fortificațiile care o înconjurau odinioară sunt așezate pe un promontoriu, lângă drum.
Biserica
Lăcașul de cult din Veseud era o bazilică romanică ridicată în secolul al XIII-lea. Ea avea probabil tipica absidă semicirculară, care a fost demolată la fortificarea de la sfârșitul secolului al XV-lea, pentru a se clădi deasupra corului un turn de apărare cu cinci niveluri. Din bazilica romanică s-a păstrat doar arcul triumfal semicircular.
Fortificația
O descriere a lui Friedrich Müller din 1857 amintește existența a două turnuri de apărare de plan pătrat, prevăzute cu galerii de apărare, și a două bastioane circulare. Din fortificațiile bisericii de la Veseud s-a mai păstrat un singur fragment de zid pe latura de miazăzi, lung de 20 metri și lat de un metru.

Fortified church in Veseud

The point of maximum attraction is the fortress city Agnita peasant fortified church housed therein. Confirm the existence of royal privileges Agnita city in 1466, it was probably built with the church - the Gothic hall, built on the foundations of a Roman basilica, without the tower of the thirteenth century, fortified in the first quarter of the XVI century. In a document preserved in the church until 1948, it was shown that of 1409 as the current building.
The fortress consists of a triple-chamber, was built in several stages, as was later changed at different intervals. The four defense towers built of river rock and quarry belonged interior curtains. In the center of the northern side of the tower carpenters, with an entrance arch provided with hers, looking over the gate. In the east tower rises in the southeast tower blacksmith tailors and shoemakers in the southwest tower. Among the latter there are old wooden shed.
Towers owe their names to the fact that their defense was the duty of care and the various guilds, which kept their bacon in their tower and hanging from wooden beams of the platforms. Towers with five tiers are all provided with small buttresses, passable only for firearms, being vaulted niches with arches covered stone slabs placed vertically stacked or marginal.
Curtin included inside an oval courtyard with a diameter of 55-65 m - if we take the inner corners of the towers as reference points - the second defense wall connecting the outer corners of the towers. Between these two curtains are "Zwinger's" yard animals housed there in case of danger, and the third Curtin, irregular polygonal shape, included a moat, the outer defense wall was protected by the brook and wetlands near . In 1845, the third was demolished Curtin, in 1867 the stores were demolished chambers surrounding the inner chamber, so that in 1870 the last vestiges of fall and curtains triple cord, leaving the towers completely isolated from material obtained by demolishing the building new school.
The core of the city it was a Gothic hall church. Her choir elongated, closed on three sides east and central nave with semicircular arches radial bearing, once decorated with terracotta fins arranged stellate shaped, painted red, as proven by the traces on the southwest corner. Above the small arches in the northern cross of collateral amounted to a stand, while collateral south central nave reaches a height, covered with cross vaults, arches separate dublou broken arch.
On the northern side were originally preserved by square pillars, but adosându them the columns supporting the vault of the central nave. Romanesque arches, these pillars to open between north collateral, have been raised and closed in spring broke, keep a cornice placed below the point before the birth of a Roman arch, thus representing a trace of the Romanesque basilica. Western side as Portals portal located on the same axle, the narrow entrance of the priest in the southern wall of the choir, and all windows are finished in the spring broke, their profiles with a rustic character and cumbersome. The proportions are not too happy church resolved that implementation can be attributed to local craftsmen and some not qualified in any of the major urban sites. Only the south wall of the tabernacle of the present forms of late Gothic choir, more graceful, revealing a definite Oriental influence in the design details.
A bell tower 44 meters high, with six storeys and a railing of the gallery was placed in front paiantă western side, free on three sides, so that its ground floor, opening three large arches broken arch, forming a portico in front of the church main entrance. With the consolidation begun in 1500, the tower was surrounded by a coat of stone, rising to the height of the second neck, consciously shaped roof console. Called Tower potters, this body of defense was provided with battlements, divided into two storeys by a platform of planks, higher sin is accessible through a narrow staircase that ascends the north wing. A corridor crossing the western side of the bell tower in link with the north wing of the south tower. This portico was closed to the bell tower, whose upper storeys were also furnished with battlements, paiantă gallery using the base defense tower, wearing a pyramid roof with tiles.
Strengthen this powerful western side corresponds to the east, high above the choir bastion, with beat guard, flat arches resting on buttresses around the choir joining. In the shadow of these arches are wide opened holes for pouring hot liquids. The devastation of the village in 1600 by mercenary troops, the church was burned and renovated in 1614. In 1890, they renewed the southern parts of the collateral vault. In 1892, the bastion above the choir, became unstable, was demolished, and in 1908, the church received a new roof.
Over the centuries, both Cetaţiii walls and towers and church itself was refortificate, recămăşuite and raised to meet evolving technique for fighting the besiegers. Today the figure rises with its towers above City rooftops of the city, as evidence of ancient existence.
https://www.directbooking.ro/

Fortified Church Agnita

On a hill in the center of the village of Movile, there is a strong fortified church whose foundation stone was laid in the middle of the 13th century. Only the western tower and the walls of the church’s nave have been preserved from the former Romanesque construction. The church was fortified around the year 1500 in late Gothic style. Two fortification walls strengthened by several defence towers surrounded the ensemble. During the 19th century, under the pressure of an ever-growing community, the interior space of the church had to be enlarged by adding a gallery built on three sides.
Place and surroundings
The Transylvanian Saxons founded end of the 12th Century the village of 100 hillocks (Hunderbücheln in German). Nature blessed them with unusual landscapes, just perfect for giving birth to legends full of giants. One of these mythical figures is well known in the region. His apron filled with sand had a hole, a flaw that caused a hillock to appear every time he stopped walking. This is how the 100 hills after which the village was named appeared.
The fortified church also hides a lot of secrets. During the repairs in the 19th Century, a sacred altarpiece was discovered, which is one of the most valuable representations of the legend of Saint Anthony. This painting from the 16th Century shows Saint Paul and Saint Anthony apparently absorbed in a lively debate that started centuries ago and which will hopefully continue for a long time for the benefit of Movile. Nowadays the painting is to be found in the Museum of the Evangelic Church in Sibiu.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Movile fortified church

The settlement was first mentioned as Chenk in 1328. Its enormous XIII century gothic church, on a hill, dominates the area.
Its 29 meter high tower didn't serve defence purposes. There are 3 bells in it, among which, on the oldest one the date 1512 is inscriptioned, as the registration date of the bell's first casting. All three bells were recasted for in 1789, after the great fire.
In 1493, as a result of the Turkish invasion, the church was seriously damaged, it was rebuilt in the XVI century. In 1693 the tower suffered a thunder stroke, and in 1789 the fire came, which ruined the church again. The present form of the three nave church was reached after many restorations.
On the high organ-loft there are apertures, with baroque style balustrades. On one of these, the date 1796 can be traced. On the central painting of its altar Doubting Thomas can be seen; it was made in 1524 as one of the most successful pieces of art, of the famous Sibiu painter, Vincentius. Originally it was the property of Moșna, the village bought it from them in 1722. The epitaphians of Dr. Kutoris Márton 1742 and Salmen György 1746 can be seen in the main nave. There are coat stands for guildsmen next to the entrance.
https://www.welcometoromania.eu/

Fortified Church of Cincu

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/

The fortified church from Stejărişu

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

Although almost nothing of the fortification has been preserved, the church of Seliștat impresses as an example of an almost unaltered fortified church of the early 16th century. Situated on the top of a hill on the high plateau between the valleys of the river Hărtibaciu and Olt the one-aisle church without tower is said to have been built as early as the second half of the 14th century, probably on the site of an earlier building.
Around 1500 the chancel was strengthened by adding buttresses, four more stories, and a wooden battle platform. Later the nave was fitted with a barrel vault and a defence level built of bricks and stones. Loops for pouring liquids were left between the buttresses and the wall of the church. Another defence building serving for storing grains has been preserved on the northern side of the site.
On the southern side three more buildings were erected: Old and New School and the communal hall, today used as a youth hostel and community center. The modest interior of the church was renovated in 2010.
Place and surroundings
The name of the village points out that here must be a bit of paradise: as one of the oldest Saxon villages of Transylvania, the village was named once “Felix locus,” Latin name roughly meaning “happy place”. In the 15th Century the church was rebuilt as an impressive defensive assembly, which has been preserved almost intact until today. Battlements and loopholes of the fortress still seem alarming. However, there is no reason to worry: once it was built as mediator between God and humanity, then it became indispensable as a shelter for the inhabitants and nowadays is part of a youth community center.
In Seliștat children, adolescents and adults have the opportunity to enter another world and to take a trip into nature. A wide range of recreational and leisure activities is available to guests: sleeping in the fortification, visiting traditional farmhouses and chalets, trails in the nature, horseback riding in summer and magical horse-drawn sleigh rides in winter.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Seliştat fortified church

Biserica evanghelică fortificată din Rodbav, inițial romano-catolică, cu hramul Sfântul Mihail, este un ansamblu de monumente istorice aflat pe teritoriul satului Rodbav, comuna Șoarș. În Repertoriul Arheologic Național, monumentul apare cu codul 41989.04.
Ansamblul este format din două monumente:
Biserica evanghelică (cod LMI BV-II-m-A-11767.01)
Incintă fortificată, anexe (cod LMI BV-II-m-A-11767.02)
Localitatea
Rodbav, mai demult Rotbav, Rorbaca (în dialectul săsesc Rirbich, Rîrbiχ, în germană Rohrbach, în maghiară Nádpatak, Nádaspatak) este un sat în comuna Șoarș din județul Brașov, Transilvania, România. Prima mențiune scrisă a localității este din 1337, când în registrul fiscal papal este menționat preotul „Lucas de Borbach”.
Biserica
A fost construită în secolul al XIII-lea, ca o basilică cu trei nave, cu absidă semicirculară pe capătul estic al navei centrale, și un turn pe cel vestic. În secolul al XV-lea biserica a fost fortificată. Stâlpii de plan pătrat care despărțeau navele au fost zidiți, la fel și portalul vestic și căile de acces exterioare către cele două scări înzidite ale turnului.
Nava centrală a primit deasupra un etaj dotat cu guri de tragere și cu guri de vărsare, sprijinit pe o galerie de contraforturi unite prin arce, construcție similară celei de la Șoarș. Turnului i-a fost adăugată o galerie de apărare din lemn.
În jurul bisericii a fost ridicată o fortificație din zid de piatră întărit cu turnuri, din care se mai păstrează ruina unui turn semicilindric și turnul colțului nord-estic, folosit ulterior de săteni pentru păstrarea slăninii. În secolul al XVIII-lea forma absidei a fost schimbată din semicirculară în poligonală.
Pe pereții navei centrale, în partea superioară, se păstrează câteva inscripții cu citate biblice și o inscripție de la renovarea din 1753. Și pee peretele opus accesului către scara emporei s-a descoperit o inscripție de secol XVIII, însă deficitar păstrată.
Altarul și strana preotului au fost construite în stil baroc. Altarul a fost repictat in anul 1900 de sighișoreanul Josef Vogel. Panoul central al altarului a fost furat fără să fie recuperat, la fel și cele două statui din lemn policrom ale apostolilor Petru și Pavel care îl flancau. Cristelnița de piatră a fost realizată în anul 1851.

Rodbav 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/