Fortified Churches in Transylvania Transylvanian villages

Fortified Churches in Transylvania

There are many villages with fortified churches in Transylvania, and seven of them are considered UNESCO World Heritage sites.

These villages and their churches make us understand the lives of the Transylvanian Saxons. As a defence against the Ottoman Empire invasion they fortified the heart of the community - the church.

In Biertan village is located one of the strongest fortified churches in Transylvania. Built on a hill in the late Gothic style, with Renaissance influences, within two-and-a-half rings of walls, with five ramparts on the inner wall and a sacristy door with nineteen locks. Prejmer’s church - with 12 metres height and 4-5 metres thick walls and over 270 rooms across three levels could offer shelter in case of invasion. This Transylvanian village was attacked fifty times by the Ottomans, but the Church never been conquered. The fortified church of Calnic, with a gate tower to the north and a defensive tower to the south, resisted firmly against numerous Ottoman sieges and was first documented in 1269. In Saschiz is one of the finest fortified churches in Transylvania. Valea Viilor Fortified Church with a gate tower, two bastions and a tower was built by simple peasants. Viscri is a delightful village with a church built in the 12th century, enlarged in the early 16th century and walls consolidated in the 17th century. In Darjiu's church are some of the most impressive and well preserved interior frescoes. Because the village was situated high on a hill the walls around the church weren't built so high.

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