Calnic Fortress is found in the village with the same name, on the road between Sibiu and Sebes, about 40 km from Sibiu, 3 km from road is E60 to the left.

 

Calnic Fortress is one of the most interesting architectural monuments in Romania, occupying a special place among the high fortifications built by the Transylvanian people. The specificity of the monument lies in the combination of noble residence, and the citadel of free village community, whose constructive intervention is marked by the storage chambers from inside the wall. Obviously, the two contributions (of the noble family and of the village community) were successive in time, during medieval times.

 

Historical values of architecture complex, in addition with good preservation, were important reasons for its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

 

Built originally as a noble residence in the last third of the XIII century, by Chyl of Kelling (documentary mentioned in 1269), city of Calnic was designed with a massive tower-house of rectangular shape, protected by an oval enclosure, fortified with a defense tower to the south  and a tower of the gate in the northern part. Defense system was completed by the ditch filled with water that surround the fortress.

 

Residence of the German ethnic nobility until 1430, the fortress was sold by the last noble family descendants to the peasant community of Calnic, which, in the first half of the sixteenth century, began building of a new belt of walls, and fortified the gate tower, and in the inner courtyard, build a chapel on the foundations of an old building. Inside the chapel are preserved fragments of frescoes from the beginning of the sixteenth century, and on the west side is preserved a wooden gallery, decorated with floral panels painted in Renaissance popular style and dated from 1733.In the inner courtyard was built along the walls, storing chambers for supplies anticipating the bad times. Building of the two chambers in the XVI century required 2 other floors being added to the tower (now simple tower defense) reaching a height of over 20 meters, this ensuring efficacy of firearms beyond the exterior wall.

 

The fortress was restored by The Direction of  historical monuments in the years 1961 - 1964, the site was headed by architect Stefan Bals. Along with the restoration, excavations were conducted by Radu Heitel. Near the city is the former Evangelist parish house, edifice built in the XVI century and enlarged in 1779. Climbing up the alley, near the parish house, one can get to the big church of the German ethnic, located in the middle of the cemetery.

 

Calnic Fortress, along with other historical monuments, were been given of to "Ars Transsilvaniae" Romania Association and form International Cultural Center, sponsored by the Institute of Archeology and Art History of the Romanian Academy from Cluj-Napoca.

 

 

Beyond the ruins - medieval fortresses (Author: Husar, Alexander, Publisher European Institute)
1000 palaces and castles of the world (collectively Author, Publisher: Aquila 93, Year Published: 2007)
Cabin and royal palace  ROMANIA - architecture and interior decoration (author Marian Constantin, Publishing Company, 2007)
The travel guide of Romania - Publisher Publirom, 2008
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