Deva fortress has a history dating back to 1269. Old traces of the life lead here are taking us back to the beginning of human history, and then in the time of the Dacia state during and roman domination. During feudalism, city life was linked to numerous and difficult works that the peasants had to do - the defense and fortification of the fortress walls, digging ditches, cutting wood and others were burdensome obligations.  It made the city become, during the centuries, the target of many uprisings. In 1784, during the rebellion led by Horia, Closca and Crisan, masters of the city resisted the attacks from the serfdom and miners in the Apuseni Mountains. Unarmed and without a good organization, the rebels failed to take over the city under attack. Forced to retreat, they left in the hands of the nobles. 86 prisoners, were executed by cutting off their heads and their bodies were dumped in a mass grave behind the city.

 

Deva masters have welcomed with hostility Michael the Brave, in 1600 when he was heading to Prague, hoping to find at the court of Emperor Rudolf help against the Ottoman Empire: "...from the city of Deva they aimed cannons at me and drowning in Mures many of my men”.

 

Fortress walls closed between them many fighters for justice and freedom of the people, and during the revolution of 1848 there were fought terrible battles between revolutionary troops and Hungarian tsarist army, to suppress the coming revolution.

 

An explosion produced in 1849 in the store with gunpowder to blow up the fortress walls, everything becoming as a result a pile of stones.

 

Passing through the ruins of old gates, through the poor lighted places one can think of the times when outlaws probably found their shelter here. Same ruins are full of mystery and legend, many stories being conceived to relate them, being the fruit of popular imagination. One of them shows that the fortress was built by fairies with golden hair, the girls of giants, who were arguing among themselves and destroyed it. Another story is attributed the building of the walls to the hard working dwarfs.

 

The fortress is situated on a picturesque hill where at the bottom stretches the modern town, dressed in colorful clothes of the new buildings. Going on these lands, in mid-century, English traveler Paget, enchanted by the view that can be seen at the height of the city, confessed that: "Few places I have walked through in many countries, have more beautiful view than that of the Mures Valley."

 

Under the fortress hill there is Magna Curia Palace (now headquarters dacian and roman Civilization Museum), built in XVI century, on a rectangular plan. Transformed by Gabriel Bethlen in 1621, Magna Curia took a Baroque appearance in XVIII century, when it was added a monumental staircase and a balcony.

 

 

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
http://www.turism.ro
http://www.ghidulturistic.ro
http://www.cimec.ro