The fortified church in Bahnea

This historic church is a bit harder to find. Bahnea (“Bachnen” in German, “Bonyha” in Hungarian) is a small village off the main roads, which you can only reach by driving on narrower county roads. The church itself is also hard to spot even when you’re in the village, because it’s hidden away behind the houses and backyard gardens, on a small hill. Here is a link to its location on Google Maps. It is a beautiful structure though, with lots of history, and the priest is an easygoing Hungarian fellow who is glad to talk with you and show you around.

The village is first mentioned in written documents in 1291. The church dates to the beginning of the 14th century, sometime between 1300-1350. The owners of the church (and the village) were the Bánffy family, an old Hungarian aristocratic family with lots of history and properties (castles and palaces) in Transilvania.

Just like the Saxons, the Hungarians who came to live in Transilvania were initially Catholic and later became Reformed. The Saxons became Evangelical around 1500 and the Hungarians became Reformed around 1600. So it was with the Church. Built Catholic, its walls were adorned with frescoes and its columns with various sculptures and Green Men. Come the Reformation, the frescoes were whitewashed and some of the sculptures defaced, and they stayed that way until the 20th century, when a restoration effort uncovered some of them.

Enjoy the photographs!

At the fortified church in Bahnea, Transilvania, Romania

Somewhere near Bahnea, Romania

At the fortified church in Bahnea, Transilvania, Romania

Somewhere near Bahnea, Romania

At the fortified church in Bahnea, Transilvania, Romania

Somewhere near Bahnea, Romania

At the fortified church in Bahnea, Transilvania, Romania

In Bahnea, Romania

At the fortified church in Bahnea, Transilvania, Romania

Somewhere near Bahnea, Romania

At the fortified church in Bahnea, Transilvania, Romania

Places

Sighisoara: on the beaten path

As opposed to these photos, the ones you’ll see here are popular sights most tourists get to see (or not, depending on what they’re looking at). Enjoy!

Sighisoara, Romania

Inside the citadel, Sighisoara, Romania

Sighisoara, Romania

Inside the citadel, Sighisoara, Romania

Saxon church, Sighisoara, Romania

Inside the citadel, Sighisoara, Romania

Saxon church, Sighisoara, Romania

Inside the citadel, Sighisoara, Romania

Sighisoara, Romania

Inside the citadel, Sighisoara, Romania

Saxon church, Sighisoara, Romania

Sighisoara, Romania

Inside the citadel, Sighisoara, Romania

Sighisoara, Romania

Inside the citadel, Sighisoara, Romania

Sighisoara, Romania

Inside the citadel, Sighisoara, Romania

Sighisoara, Romania

Inside the citadel, Sighisoara, Romania

Places

The fortified church in Copsa Mare

The construction of the Saxon church in the village of Copsa Mare (“Gross-Kopisch” in German and “Nagykapus” in Hungarian) started in the 14th century and underwent transformations in order to further fortify it in 1510, 1519 and 1797. In 1800, the organ was installed. In 1854, the Gothic altar was replaced with a Baroque one. The fortified wall was added in the 16th century, in 1519 to be more exact.

The village was once renowned for its vineyards. The Saxons who lived there owned the largest and best-known vineyards of Southern Transilvania. The village is first mentioned in written documents in 1283 and from those documents it can be deduced that an earlier church structure existed where the current one resides.

Enjoy the photographs!

Clock tower of the fortified church in Copsa Mare, Transilvania, Romania.

Copsa Mare, Transilvania, Romania

Copsa Mare, Transilvania, Romania

Fortified church in Copsa Mare, Romania

Fortified church, Copsa Mare, Transilvania, Romania

Fortified church in Copsa Mare, Transilvania, Romania

Fortified church in Copsa Mare, Transilvania, Romania

Village houses and fortified church in the background, Copsa Mare, Transilvania, Romania

Fortified church, Copsa Mare, Transilvania, Romania

Fortified church in Copsa Mare, Transilvania, Romania

Fortified church in Copsa Mare, Transilvania, Romania

Fortified church in Copsa Mare, Transilvania, Romania

Places

The fortified church in Richis

This church in the village of Richis (“Reichesdorf” in German and “Riomfalva” in Hungarian) was built sometime between 1350-1400 and it initially functioned as a Cistercian abbey. The abbey did not have a bell tower to begin with because the Cistercian order was not allowed to have them. In 1400, it became a Catholic church and a bell tower was built as a separate structure from the church. In 1500, the fortified wall was built around the church, to defend it from invading tartars and turks.

Sometime between 1540 and 1550, the Saxons became Evangelicals and converted the decorations of the church to what they deemed as a more austere place to worship. They tore some of the medieval ornamentation, particularly the sculptures, and they whitewashed the walls, inside and out. It was only in 1957, when the newly arrived priest led an effort to scrape away the lime whitewash and restore the church that the early gothic motifs were rediscovered.

The church interior is abundant in unique animal, vegetal and human motifs. The most captivating is the “green man”, a symbol of nature’s fertility. Another symbol of the natural wealth in the region is the very name of the place, Reichesdorf, which means “wealthy village”. Should you visit, you’ll want to see the 1775 baroque altar made of sculpted wood, illustrating the Crucifixion.

The local guide of the church is Mr. Schaas, one of the few Saxons left in the village, whom you’ll see in the gallery I’ve published here. He always welcomes visitors and is glad to tell the story of the church to you.

Enjoy the photos!

The fortified church in Reichesdorf, Transilvania, Romania

In Reichesdorf, Transilvania, Romania

The fortified church in Reichesdorf, Transilvania, Romania

Places

The fortified church in Saschiz

This kind of architectural structure which combines a regularly-used church with fortified walls is typical of the region of Transilvania, where Saxons built them as places of refuge against invading tartars and turks. While larger settlements (such as Medias) could afford to build fortified walls around the entire town, villages such as Saschiz built fortified churches. There were originally 300 of these churches in Transilvania. About 150 of them remain standing.

Known as Keisd in German and Szászkézd in Hungarian, Saschiz (“Sas” = Saxon, “chiz” = Keisd) is unique because it also has a separate fortress built on one of the hilltops above the village. It (along with six other villages) is named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fortress, being relatively far from the village, didn’t see much use during times of invasion and the fortified church itself became the place where people would take refuge and do their best to withstand sieges. The fortified church was built in 1493-1496 and the fortress was begun in 1496.

The photos you’ll see here were taken in and around the fortified church. We haven’t visited the fotress yet, but we intend to do it.