Brukenthal Palace and the collections put together by Baron Samuel von Brukenthal represent the nucleus of the present Brukenthal National Museum.
Since the baron and his wife had a daughter as the only child (who died at the early age of four) his testamentary dispositions stipulated that, on the death of the last heir in the male line of succession, the entire inheritance was to be placed in the custody of the Evangelical Church of Sibiu while the palace presenting his collections to be open for the public, event that happened in the year 1817.
During the 19th century, the main concern of the Museum was to preserve the extant patrimony, to enlarge the main collections through the means of acquisitions and to establish new collections, especially in the range of the German-Saxon Culture.
In the year 1948, the Museum was nationalized, becoming the property of the communist Romanian state.
In 1948, the Transylvanian Society for the Natural Sciences in Sibiu ceased its activity, the museum under its patronage being included in the national patrimony. In 1957, the Museum of Natural Sciences became a part of the Brukenthal Museum.
The “August von Spiess” Museum of Hunting has its opening in 1966.
1972 is the opening year to the Museum of Pharmacy.
In 1988 was inaugurated the History Section of the Brukenthal National Museum, at present the Museum of History, in the Altemberger House.
The Contemporary Art Gallery of the Brukenthal National Museum is the most recently acquired location (2006), since 2014 functioning as a Museum of Contemporary Art.
http://www.brukenthalmuseum.ro/

Brukenthal Palace

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The three-nave fortified Evangelical church was built at the beginning of the XIII century in honor of Saint Walpurga. First written records date back to 1349. The church was fortified following the Turkish raid: the main tower was raised and loopholes were added, two bastions-, and three surrounding walls were built. The walls had ailes, towers, bastions and were surrounded by ditches filled with water.
The watchtower, the city hall tower, the bacontower, the sickle makers' tower, and the schooltower are still standing. The belfry is 32,50m high. It has been burnt down by lightning several times. This led to the installation of the first lightning rod in Transilvania, following the Raimarus model. For centuries the church has guarded the treasure of Cisnădie, which represented the assests of the church. The treasure was hidden in the wall and it was always only two people who knew the location. In 1793 the opening up of the hiding-place resulted in a number of valuables from the middle ages.
Part of the valuables were used to pay for the restructuring of the church. The remaining have been exhibited in the museum in Sibiu since 1915. The church guards a bell, cast in 1664, a font, and the gate of the old altar. The northern wall of the choir bears the remain of XV century paintings. The church also guards the blue gemstones inlaid cross of the first settlers in the XII century. The upper part of the old altar, painted by Vincentius Cibinensiss in 1525, is guarded in the Brukhental museum.
https://www.welcometoromania.eu/

Evangelical church in Cisnadioara

At mid-15th century, the former Romanesque basilica from Cristian was almost entirely redecorated and turned into a gothic hall church with three naves and a belfry.
The authorities wanted to build a very solid church to resist to the passing of time and to the merciless attacks and also to respond to the modern architecture of those times. Thus, the very famous stone-mason Andreas Lapicida, known in that region of Transylvania for his craftsmanship was commissioned to perform the works.
Because the settlement was in an open field and it had difficulties in defending itself from the invaders, the church was surrounded by two defence curtain walls and the exterior wall was equipped with five towers. During the attacks the families would withdraw inside the church and defend it, taking their animals and food with them. The lard and bacon were well kept in a specially designed tower, the so-called Lard Tower or Pantry Tower which can still be seen today.
The financial claims of craftsman Lapicida which set the local authorities on fire were well grounded - the Cristian church is impressive through its greatness and the stone mason’s art has lasted well through centuries.
http://www.sibiu-turism.ro/

The fortified church from Cristian

In the second half of the 12th century they built a Romanesque basilica. In the early 13th century, the basilica became the property of King Andrew II and later on it was donated to the Cistercian Abbey in Cârţa.
The church is made up of three naves and surrounded by a precinct wall unfolding along the Mihail Hill plateau (which gives the settlement its German name - Michelsberg - Michael’s Hill). What makes this church different from other similar churches in Transylvania is that it has not suffered too many subsequent alterations.
It was reinforced with three towers: the southern Gate Tower, the tower in front of the west portal and the eastern tower, 5 m outside the precinct wall.
The walls were about 4-6 m high; a particular feature was represented by the 8 door-like openings under the guard route. They were equipped with oak doors and could be blocked from the inside; from here they would throw rocks at those attempting to attack the fortress. Part of these rocks can still be seen inside the fortress. The church hosts the tombstones of the soldiers who died in this region during the First World War.
http://www.sibiu-turism.ro/

The fortified church from Cisnădioara

The Reformed church in Ocna Sibiului is a fortified church, with three naves, in the Roman style. It began being built in 1240, but the construction was interrupted by the Tatar invasion in Transylvania, which is why it was finished as late as 1280. The city wall was built later, in the early 1300, to defend the church from the second wave of Tatar invaders. The oldest and most precious element of the church is the bas-relief above the south entrance, dating back to the early 1200s. A few frescoes were uncovered in 1910. The most important is the fresco above the central nave made by a painter from Sibiu called Vincentius in 1522, portraying the last days in the life of Jesus. It was initially a Roman Catholic church, and became a Reformation church in 1596, when the Hungarian community converted. For hundreds of years, the church was used by Evangelical Saxons.
The south wing of the church houses a small museum, as Father Lorand told us:
"The oldest exhibit here is the archbishop's chair built in 1515. We also have chalices, platters and fonts used from the 17th to the 18th centuries, but also clay pots made by salt mine workers between the 18th and 20th centuries. You can visit the church at any time. We have guided tours in several languages. We also have fliers telling you about the church in Hungarian, English and German. The church is visited annually by people from all corners of Europe, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, England and France. In my opinion, if you visit Sibiu, Ocna Sibiului is a must, not just for the treatment, but also for the history, which comes alive between these walls. Which is why we welcome you here with open heart."
https://www.rri.ro/

Ocna Sibiului fortified church

In the 16th century Sibiu and Mediaş were two important burgs in the south of Transylvania and the road connecting them was constantly under threat from enemy attacks.
Thus, in mid-16th century, in several stages, they erected the Slimnic fortress on the road from Sibiu to Mediaş. This was a simple military architecture complex with some defence towers. Inside, the fortress also hosted a small gothic chapel, the only one which can still be admired today; the planned hall church was never finished due to the countless attacks on the fortress. For instance, the sieges from 1529 and 1706 proved to be devastating for the fortress. The church was built in the second half of the 14th century and its patron was St. Bartholomew. Around the year 1500 the wooden ceiling of the church is replaced with a gothic vault.
The fortress is placed on a hill above Slimnic and its high, reddish ruins (because of the brick) are noticeable from afar. 
http://www.sibiu-turism.ro/

The peasant fortress from Slimnic

The school and church are considered great cultural goods in every corner of the world. The Saxons gave them an even greater importance, both being the core of their national life. The church is the most powerful of all Saxon organizations, including the people in its entirety, and the school serves its keen sense of development and preserves its culture.
The first documentation of the Church in Tălmaciu dates from 1429, when the “parochialis e celesiae Talmucz” is mentioned, a Catholic church that replaced a previously existing small basilica. The church will benefit from the attention of Sibiu’s magistrates, who were obliged to take care of it. Therefore it is not surprising that a series of expenses made for the church is recorded in the county books: between 1503 and 1507 a certain amount of materials were bought, probably for the new roof of the church, which was erected in 1507. There may have been a reduction of the building by demolishing the southern part of the church. City officials came to this conclusion in the nineteenth century, when the church was undergoing some reconstruction work in order to expand it. Between 1829 and 1831, after some digging, the foundation walls were found, which were used to rebuild the once demolished segment. Thus the building obtained the look it has today. The altar dates from the seventeenth century.
Great and imposing, with a high tower that can be seen from every corner of Tălmaciu, and a clock that lets one know the passing time, the Saxon church built with Gothic elements but especially Romanesque ones stood witness to the events of this village.
After the reform, Saxons in Tălmaciu embraced the Evangelical-Lutheran religion, as most Transylvanian Saxons did. When the Habsburg Empire sought to convert them back to Catholicism, they gathered round their priests, resisting these pressures.
The parsonage was built at the same time as the church. Dating from the fifteenth century, it was consumed by the flames of the fire that spread in Tălmaciu in 1718.
The priest had a huge authority in Saxon communities. He was administrator of the church, along with the parish committee and a number of village representatives. These spiritual leaders were elected, the Saxon lacking an appointment. It was their right, earned since their arrival to Transylvania.
The importance of the Saxon church also stems from the fact that it has supported and cultivated the school. Documents from the sixteenth century speak of teachers in Tălmaciu ever since 1523-1526: they were the “Scolari Clemens”, a bell ringer who also served as a teacher.
The church and its foundation
A parish church in Tălmaciu was documented for the first time in 1429. The location of this is unknown, it was probably situated where there were built other churches later on and where the evangelical church is today. In the Middle Ages a basilica type church was built. From this old church the foundation walls of different heights raised, on which the church is partially standing nowadays. Also, the triumphal arch of the existing building body was partly done in the old building. The triumphal arch is round. There is a  a fairly large portion of the wall to the ceiling.
From the history of the old church it is also stated:
In 1503 there is some construction work at the church in Tălmaciu which is supported by Sibiu. Woodwork and bricks are paid out of the treasury of the town hall. Also in 1507, the church roof bricks are paid from the treasury of the Sibiu province. Woodwork is paid from the same treasury.
In 1520 the Sibiu province supports the parish with the completion of the fortification works at the church. It was probably then that the defensive wall around the church cemetery and the church were built. In 1713 the magistrate of Sibiu allowed the inhabitants of Tălmaciu to raise money to repair their church in the city.
Between 1829-1831 the church was enlarged, consolidated  and completely renovated using medieval building materials. Before these expansion works, there was a smaller church, with the roof outline still visible today in the eastern part of the bell. The arcades (rows of arches) separate the central nave from the two side aisles. The place for the choir has a polygonal closure. A copy of the Gothic vault with old ribs is built in the choir, of shaped stone blocks and round closed windows are fitted. Inside the choir there are two round windows (“oculi”). The central nave has a flat ceiling made of mortar stucco. The aisles have barrel vaults lined up in sections. The high aisles have barrel vault on their segments. The aisles are highten with empora. The Western Emporia is wooden. The large arch-shaped windows lead to the side emporas. In the side aisles modern closed windows were mounted horizontally, which gives the church a simple feature. On both sides of the first pillar between the nave and the side aisles there a stone plate with a commemorative writing in Latin capitals composed of gold. On the first page it is written: “Aedes Deo Triunei 0.M.sacra numificentria incl. VII. Ind. Patronatus fauturum Symbolis Talmatschensium assiduitate 1831, amplificata, renovata examata” (Translation: “This holy church built in honor of the Holy Trinity and Almighty God was enlarged, enhanced and renovated through the generosity of the seven honorable judges, the esteemed leaders of business organizations, with the financial contributions and zeal of the residents of Tălmaciu. “) In the south:” Under auspiciis Amadei Vailer sen.Cib.et sedis Insp. Joannis Jos.Roth Parochi, Jac.Kesner vil. etaedit, Martin Lang jur. et aedit Martin Engber, jur. Mart. Schneider vil. edj. Georg Fakesch, jur. Mich. Klein jur.Joannis Schneider orat.extructa. ” (Translation: “The construction rose under the supervision of Amadeus Vailer,  Senator of Sibiu and school inspector, Johann Josef Roth, the parish priest, Jakob Kesner, Judge of the village and father of the church, Martin Lang, a member of the panel and father of the church; Martin Engber, a jury member; Martin Schneider, a deputy judge; Georg Fakesch, a jury member; Michael Klein, a jury member and Johann Schneidern, a reviewer.) On the southern part of the church a small sacristy was attached, serving ecclesiastical affairs of all kinds. One could get to it from inside the church through a narrow door.
In 1942 the whole church and the tower underwent capital repair works.
In 1965 the sacristy is demolished, a significantly higher one being built at the same place. They wanted to venerably replace the lack of room for Bible study and choir rehearsal, held at school. It also has an entrance door from the outside, from the church cemetery.
Inside the church there are:
The altar dating from the 17th century; it contains the built mass of the altar and an upper wooden construction. The main picture, representing the Crucified is surrounded on both sides by three pillars. On the predella, on the lower part of the altar there is a painting that represents the Last Supper, not painted by the same artist who had painted the main draw. The Coronation is composed of God’s eye and a cross. Between the predella and the main draw there is the following inscription: “D.O.M.S. Suscipe, sancte Deus quod nunc hic maneris instar offert Zultner mente piae Domine.” This inscription mentions as the donor a particular Zultner. A stone step is leading to the altar, whose narrow part towards the nave was carved in 1859.
The pew
The counts of the Tălmaciu castle once held in this church their own pews in the choir, because in 1682 the castle Count Georg Glockner donated a white carpet for “The gentlemen’s pew”, according to the registration of the Tălmaciu church book page 2. Nowadays  there is just a new simple pew in the choir.
The pulpit
The body of the pulpit is built, being built simultaneously with the church building. The pulpit railing, and crown type canopy are painted with colorful floral motifs. Above the crown of the pulpit there is the eye of the Lord, above it there is the baroque figure of an angel flying, which apparently didn’t belong to the pulpit.
The organ
The housing of the organ comes from the 19th century, having no ornamentation (ornament) apart. The pneumatic organ was rebuilt in 1926 by Wegenstein and consists of a hand, a foot and six registers (rattles).
The baptistery
Its main part consists of a cup-shaped soft stone. The simple wooden attach is associated to the desk.
Inside the church there are also six large velvet flags that have been made in memory of the dead of the parish and donated to the church. They hang at the round side windows being rolled and carried by the hired depending on the season of the church.
The canopy is a ceiling above the pulpit, but also a small protective roof supported by pillars. `
Pneumatic: which is powered by compressed air.
Register of the organ: a series of whistles, with the same type of construction and sound.
In memory of the dead there are several flags at the altar and the pulpit.
Two of them have the following dedication:
“Friederike Frankowsky, born on 21st September 1926 died in Hannover on 2nd October 1950” and
“Michael Armbruster 77, born on 9th March 1904, died on 2nd Jan 1974.”
On another flag it is written next to a picture “Martin Glockner, born 21 feb. 18631 died 13 Jan 1936.” From the stucco ceiling there are three chandeliers hanging. In the parish chancellery there is a church book in which donations made in previous years have been written.
Here we read:
1689 – Castle Count Georg Klockner donated a beautiful white silk priestly vestment
1706 –  “a beautiful new cassock” was donated
1812-  “a cassock” was donated
1815 – “candles for the morning service” were donated
1816 –  “a new surplice” was donated
https://turism.talmaciu.ro/

Evangelical Church from Tălmaciu

Along its 250 year old history, this establishment went through the hands of various owners and it went through multiple orientations. The Brukenthal Family, various families from the area, the Evangelical Community Rectory were in turn the owners of the assembly, the latter opening a thermal establishment and a sanatorium back in 1908. After 1948 the settlement became state-owned, the sanatorium being preserved. Starting with 1999 the land is acquired by the Samuel von Brukenthal foundation. Nowadays, the building complex is open to the general public that wishes to enjoy the unique atmosphere found at the bottom of the Carpathians.
The Baroque Palace is the main building of the summer residence. It is found on top of a 12-metre terrace found above of the Olt Valley, representing the highest point of Avrig. The assembly is comprised of a main three-winged building conjoined with two single-storey annex buildings. The U-shaped building assembly is oriented towards the park, as it was the custom in Transylvania, and not towards the street.
Probably the sole garden-monument in Southern Transylvania, the park was mainly preserved according to the initial structure. Today, the symmetrical, strict shapes can only be guessed, while the original plants suffered decades of neglect and were nearly lost – aside from a few exceptions, such as the tulip trees. Starting with the last couple of decades restoration procedures ensued to revive the initial appearance.
Being ideally placed at the middle of the park, the Orangery is the main attraction point for those who visit the Brukenthal assembly. The former historical charm has been restored and completed with the comfort and elegance of the modern age. Our guests will find that this unique Baroque building provides modern bedrooms, a romantic restaurant and two halls for events (such as parties, conferences or seminars).
https://www.palatulbrukenthalavrig.ro/

In the village of Boiţa, Sibiu County, there is a castle that, once seen, will certainly remain in one’s memory due to its bright red appearance.
Built in the early fifteenth century, the fortress of Boiţa was an important landmark throughout the history of Transylvania, especially Ottoman battles.
According to legend, after one of the Romanian-Saxon army’s victories, the tower was painted red with the blood of Turks, as a warning. The area was of great significance, being right on the border between the Habsburg Empire and the Ottoman Empire.
The building had a particularly important role during the 1400s: it was first mentioned in a document from 1453, being intended as a customs point toward Wallachia.
Two impressive towers guard the famous castle. The most important one is the house-tower, made after a rectangular plan, with 14 meter long walls, standing four levels high and having a number of narrow windows.
The second tower was built in the fifteenth century, with a hexagonal shape, and 7 meter long walls. This tower is connected to another through a wall, this other tower being a contact way to Sibiu and Ramnicu Valcea. A century ago, the tower was rebuilt completely.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the castle was used as a quarantine point for cattle merchants who came from Muntenia.
At the foot of the castle there is a cemetery, at the entrance of which there lies a large open book, carved in stone. There isn’t anything written on its pages, the book itself representing an invitation to read what is written on the crosses.
The message of the crosses is impressive: “During World War I, our Romanians fiercely defended these grounds; in this cemetery, in one pit, 20-30 dead soldiers were thrown together, Romanians and Germans alike. Death wiped away any enmity between them and made them comrades forever. “
From 1917 to 2003, Turnu Roșu Castle was an orphanage, where children whose fathers died in order to defend the country were housed.
https://turism.talmaciu.ro/

Turnu Rosu Castle from Boiţa

From the first basilica built in the 13th century the western portal is preserved – a most valuable testimony of the Romanesque architectural sculpture in Transylvania – as well as the pillars and arcades that once used to separate the central nave and the aisles. Looking carefully above the western portal, one may observe an immured sculpture representing two figures. Some argue that it is a depiction of the Baptism of Jesus, while others say it represents Adam and Eve. The observer is thus invited to solve this mystery by himself.
Around the year 1500 the bell tower was heightened and provided with a wooden battlement walk on consoles and the church’s side aisles were demolished. The two defence walls of the assembly, which were built during the 15th century, are connected by the gate tower and still exhibit remains of the former battlement walk and embrasures, vestiges of a rough past.
Place and surroundings
Amidst the picturesque valley of Hârtibaciu river lays the village of Hosman. The fortified church in the center of the settlement is one of the most photographed sunjects in Transylvania. In clear weather the church has as background the spectacular view of the often snow-caped mountains Făgăraşi, which formed once the boundary of the Austrian and respectively Hungarian sphere of influence. As part of the southern Carpathian, the mountains reach heights over 2.500m.
Today Hosman is one of the starting points of the Brukenthal cultural trails, by which one can explore the surroundings in trips up to nine days. On site the Association “Hosman Durabil” (Sustainable Hosman) supports the development of the settlement. Focus of work is the preservation of the cultural and built heritage and improvement of the living conditions. As part of their work, the old mill was refurbished to host cultural events. Here one can take a guided tour and buy bread, which is backed following traditional recipes and methods.
The European Youth Meeting Center Fortified Church in Hosman (CEPIT Hosman) organizes interethnic and ecumenical youth events and it is committed to the preservation of the medieval assembly of the fortified church.
Activities
The fortified church of Hosman underwent a thorough renovation in the end of the 90’s. Since then about 20 years have passed and the important maintenance and care of the building went through different phases.
In the beginning of the 2000’s family Cotaru (Hosman Durabil) took great care of the fortification. They not only made sure it was accessible but also actively repaired things when necessary, for example they restored the tower clock.
As of 2010 different measures were taken by the Association “Jugendburg Holzmengen”, the District Consistory of Sibiu and other initiatives. The Association “Jugendburg Holzmengen” has been caring for the parish house for many years.
https://kirchenburgen.org/

Hosman Fortified Church

Legendara reşedinţă a familiei Bolyai din satul Buia, dar şi castelul de la Boarta, construit în stil baroc în 1770, au rămas acum doar ruine printre care se mai plimbă uneori localnicii bătrâni, copleşiţi de amintiri.
Pe un deal mic, pe care urci dintr-un drum neasfaltat, ruinele reşedinţei falnice de odinioară a familiei Bolyai zac încremenite într-un timp demult apus, plin de poveşti de care acum se interesează, din păcate, din ce în ce mai puţini.    Prima atestare a castelului datează din 1324, iar în perioada de înflorire avea 12 camere, o curte splendidă cu mese din pietre rotunde, cu brazi de jur-împrejur, o alee străjuită de castani şi o pivniţă ”de gheaţă” în care petrecea nobilimea. Peisajul era întregit de o biserică, cu fresce pictate de pereţi.    După bătălia de la Şelimbăr, din 1599, Sigismund Bathory îi donează castelul lui Mihai Viteazul, iar legendele povestesc că, după bătălii, domnitorul ar fi lăsat-o aici, timp de două săptămâni, pe doamna Stanca. Tot legendele spun că, după aceeaşi luptă, voievodul ar fi venit aici cu bijuterii puse într-o piele de bivol, pe care le-ar fi îngropat în jurul castelului.    Turnul cu coase şi teiul de spânzurătoare   De ruinele de acum, pe vremuri splendidă reşedinţă nobiliară, se leagă încă numeroase legende. ”Exista un turn de execuţie dotat cu coase şi o cameră de plângere lângă turn. Iobagii care nu se supuneau moşierului erau executaţi, iar cel care urma să fie executat trebuia să-şi spună păcatele în camera de plângere, apoi era aruncat între coase. La intrare, în partea stângă, era un tei, un copac de spânzurătoare, unde erau spânzuraţi iobagii care nu se supuneau”, povesteşte Karoly Szobo (77 de ani), fost învăţător în sat vreme de 40 de ani.    Tot legenda mai spune că în zidul castelului erau zidite călugăriţe care ieşeau doar noaptea şi cântau, dar şi că edificiul era legat printr-un tunel de satul Mighindoala, aflat în apropiere.    Dispensar şi magazie   În 1920, povesteşte Karoly Szabo, satul a ajuns în proprietatea statului român, iar până în 1978 aici a funcţionat un dispensar, pentru care au fost modificate şi amenajate două dintre camere. ”După ce a dispărut dispensarul nu s-a mai ocupat nimeni şi a fost abandonat, în timpul colectivului îl foloseau ca şi magazie”, povesteşte fostul învăţător.    Astăzi, castelul considerat monument istoric este doar o ruină, cu bucăţi de ziduri printre care calci cu grijă, pentru că pot oricând să se prăbuşească. Din când în când, îi mai trec pragul turişti, iar fostul învăţător povesteşte zâmbind că printre ei mai sunt şi acum persoane care vin şi caută bijuteriile ascunse ale lui Mihai Viteazul.    Castelul Tobias din Boarta, scos la licitaţie   La câţiva kilometri de Buia, în satul Boarta, un alt monument de patrimoniu, castelul Tobias, construit în anul 1770, în stil baroc, a rămas doar o ruină. În ultima şedinţă de Consiliul Judeţean, cea din 28 martie, aleşii au aprobat un proiect de hotărâre prin care se propune concesionarea prin licitaţie publică a castelului, pe o perioadă de 25 de ani.    Preţul de pornire la licitaţie este de 1200 de lei/an, cu o perioadă de graţie de 3 ani, timp în care concesionarul se obligă să restaureze imobilul şi să îl introducă în circuitul civil.    ”În ansamblu castelul se află într-o stare avansată de degradare. Lipsa întreţinerii, a amenajărilor exterioare, a canalizării, a colectării şi evacuării apelor pluviale sunt principalele probleme în conservarea imobilului. Starea avansată dee degradare constituie un real pericol în caz de cutremur sau vânt puternic. Urmare acestui fapt, pentru siguranţa şi prelungirea în timp a duratei de existenţă a imobilului se impune consolidarea pentru punerea în siguranţă a imobilului din punct de vedere seismic, restaurarea şi reabilitarea structurală”, se arată în proiectul de hotărâre.
https://adevarul.ro/