The Citadel of Șiria is a historical monument (), dating from the 13th century, built on the Citadel’s Hill (496m), dominating the surroundings of Șiria.
Its purpose was strategic, defensive and economic, subordinating  110 villages. From an architectural point of view, the city has several parts,  the central body built on a rock of irregular oval shape with level differences. The west wall is 24 m long, tall and  has many holes. To the north one can see the remains of a donjon (tower). It had  some rooms, and it communicates with the outdoor courtyard through a door that was closed as needed.
The Outdoor Court, 36-38 m in size, has its walls almost intact. The thickness of  each the wall is 130 cm, and they are 3.5 m high. To the north there is an opening that used to be one of the gates. Over the ditch at the front of the citadel there used to be a drawbridge. The tower and surrounding wall are the oldest parts of the city. The tower with its ruined tip is 109 m long and 18 m wide. In front of the central body there is a protective wall at a distance of 2.5 m, enclosing a small courtyard . The surrounding wall has a length of 28 m, with input only from the west. The moat located in front of the outer court used to have a depth of 10m and a width of 14m in some areas, but others were less steep.
The underground tunnels have a height of 1,9 m and are 1,8 m wide at the base. There are four gates. The main gate on the northeast side, with a 2,9m long base, had two adjacent openings – a big one and a smaller pedestrian road. The gate on the side of the protecting wall allowed access over the moat. There was also a gate on the west side wall of the outer court and, finally, one in the central body (uncertain). The construction materials used were stone from Galșa quarry, at a distance of 3.5 km, and lime stone (hot mortar) from Agrișul Mare located 12 km away, over the hill. There were three successive execution stages of construction:
The tower with its annexes: the surrounding wall and of the central body (after the Tatar invasion of 1241 and the second half of the 13th century).
The main body and thickening of the walls with buttresses (during the reign of Iancu de Hunedoara).
The improvement of the central body, the outer court, and the walls in front of the western central body, during the reign of the Báthory family (second half of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century).
Under the reign of the Ottomans, the walls were fortified, thus increasing the citadel’s safety against attacks. The style of the fortress is Romanesque, with a massive inhabitable tower, 2-3 stories high, and with battlements at the top.
https://www.cniptpincota.ro/

The Citadel of Șiria

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Şoimoş Citadel, one of the medieval castles in Transylvania, is a piece of the past Romanian castles. Once the residence of Queen Isabella and her son, John Sigismund Szapolyai, the city played an important role in history. Despite the restorations carried out, the citadel is yet to be displayed at its true value.
Access to the citadel is made by climbing a steep but accessible slope. The climb from the foot of the hill to the citadel takes on average 20 minutes. The trail winds back slightly on the hill and ends at the citadel gate. Even in its ruined state, the entrance leaves you breathless, and you can't blame the climb for that!
Once through the gates, one enters the courtyard where the walls tell old and beautiful stories. From its former windows one can see Mureş river flowing slowly before the citadel. Lipova town along with the gently-sloping hills of the area, Arad's little Toscani, can be also seen from up here. The walls that remained standing are quite well preserved and some consolidations have been made.
History
The citadel that still guards the right bank of river Mures was first documented in 1278. It was built by a noble family. Since mid-eighteenth century it was donated to several families until it reached the possession of John Hunyadi.
It will be conquered by peasants led by Gheorghe Doja but, after the uprising is defeated, it returns in the possession of the nobility.
In 1788 it was officially abandoned and in the nineteenth century entered the list of protected monuments.
Legend
Elders tell the tale of three sisters, each wanting to build a citadel. One day they met at Şiria. They started talking and the first one said:
"If the good Lord will help me, my citadel will be ready tomorrow."
The second did not let herself get outdone:
"My citadel will also be done tomorrow", she said. The third one exclaimed defiantly:
"Even if the Lord does not help me, my citadel will be ready tomorrow!"
Things happen exactly as they say so three new citadels appear: Şoimos, Şiria and Dezna. However not long after the citadels crumble to the ground and the three girls turn into white snakes, each snake wearing a golden key in its mouth and a golden crown on its head.
And so they appear every year waiting for their liberator to take their crowns and their keys, so that they may transform once more into maidens and the citadels will reaper in all their splendor.
Architecture
Șoimoș Citadel has both a residential and a defensive medieval architecture, and it is built on a rocky, hardly accessible hill, which offers a good view of the area it rules over. Capitalizing on its location, the citadel is equipped with more than nine meter high walls, interior towers shaped like triangles, a wide and deep moat over which was once a suspended bridge that rested on three giant pillars made out of stone. The inner courtyard of the citadel is large and is guarded by two high towers.
Besides the defensive structures, the citadel has residential premises for Queen Isabela and her son. This part is situated in the northern part of the citadel, some of the things which can still be admired today being the intact balcony, window frames and other items which were once the palace of Queen Isabela.
Visiting the citadel
Location
Şoimoş Citadel is located on the outskirts of Lipova (Arad county). The distance from Lipova to Arad is of 32 kilometers. Access to Şoimoş Citadel is made from DN7, from the bridge crossing the Şoimos Valley located at exit from Radna / Şoimoş to Săvârşin. You will need to leave your car at the foot of the hill.
Tickets and hours
No entry fees are required and there is no timetable, the citadel can be visited anytime. It is, however, recommended to visit it in spring or summer because one can suffer accidents very easy due to the bad weather and the fact that some areas of the citadel are not secured.
http://savizitam.ro/

Şoimoş Citadel

The owners of the manor-house from Odvos/Odvoș with hundreads of acres of forests and arable lands have been well-known since the 15th century.
During the agrarian riots in 1784 the manor-house was wasted, but at the beginning of the 1800s it was rebuilt in a classicist style. Its last famous owner was Konopi Kálmán who in 1911, after finishing his studies abroad returned home and grew corn on his lands. During the socialization after WW II, the castle served as the venue of pioneer camps. After the end of communism in 1989 the castle was returned to the Konopi family who meanwhile moved to Switzerland, but they do not have enough money to renovate it. Currently the castle can be bought.
https://castleintransylvania.ro/