Transilvania - tururi private si transport obiective turistice Brașov la Biserica Fortificată Saschiz.

The fortified evangelical church in Saschiz, Mureș County, was built in the 13th century. The church is listed as a historical monument in 2010, code LMI MS-II-a-A-15782. The village Saschiz, formerly Saschizd, Chizd (in Saxon dialect Keist, Kaest, in German Keisd, Kaisd, Keißd, Kaißd, Hünenburg, Hujnerschburg; in Hungarian Szászkézd vára) is a village in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania. It is the seat of the commune of Saschiz. The first documentary mention is from 1309. In the 11th and 12th centuries it was inhabited by the Szeklers, who were later transferred to eastern Transylvania[3]. The Church On the site of a Romanesque basilica, a large fortified church was built in 1493 in honor of King Stephen I of Hungary. The massive church, built of quarry stone, in the Gothic style, is a hall type, reinforced with 22 buttresses. The hall is very wide and long, and the choir is closed on three sides. In 1496 the choir of the church was finished, and in 1525 all the works were finished. A defensive level was built of brick above the hall and choir, similarly being built above the starry vault of the sacristy two more levels. The church has three portals[4] with embrasures ending in a broken arch. On the west side of the church there are two brick turrets through which access is made to the interior. By means of wide arches that are supported on the recesses of the buttresses the parapet of the defensive level is supported which masks the pouring openings. Above all, two thin walls rise, which play a role in reducing the penetration of projectiles thrown from the outside. The walls have ramparts that can be reached through a wooden corridor. Also included in the defensive system is the sacristy tower, which is found under the same roof as the church and rises 16 meters above the defensive floor.

Similar to the fortified church in Moșna, the choir partially preserves the original vaulting with penetrations. One can also see the crowning of a tabernacle that gives the impression of a considerable size similar to the one in Moșna. Also here, there are two slabs, one of the priest Martin Roselerus, it being attributed to the great sculptor Elias Nicolai and an older one of a priest Conradus. Relatively recently, in the 19th century, both the nave vault and the choir vault were modified by replacing the semi-cylindrical vaults with penetrations. The windows of the church are in the late Gothic style presenting to the view openwork moldings[5] as well as fragments of glass rounds embedded in a lead mesh network. Formerly, the organ was located above the altar. In the 18th century, it was relocated to a specially built tribune on the western side. The defense tower has a massive appearance and has levels with shooting holes. It was built about 10 meters from the sacristy. The last floors are built of brick, the others are made of stone. Its transformation into a bell tower was carried out at the same time as the construction of the clock tower in Sighișoara, in 1677. Shortly after the transformation, a fire occurred that almost completely destroyed it. Having gone through another fire, the appearance it has today is due to its restoration in 1832. At the window of the upper floor there is a figurine called Bogdan, who accompanies the strikes of the clock. The fortified evangelical church in Saschiz is part of the UNESCO world heritage. Data on the funds from which the religious building was built come from 1494 to 1525, mentioning subsidies granted by the "Province of Sibiu". There is also a papal indulgence granted between 1503 and 1507, the town also having exemptions from supplies for the army as well as from quartering.[6]

Pipe Organ

The pipe organ was built in 1786 by master Johannes Prause. Its condition has deteriorated significantly in recent years. With the help of funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM), in cooperation with the Organists' Committee of the Evangelical Church C.A., it will be restored in Romania by a company from Hărman specialized in the restoration of historical organs from Transylvania. The restored organ will be inaugurated in the fall of 2023 (September 29/30) during the Meeting of the Saxons in Romania. Fortification The Saxon fortification was built between the 14th and 15th centuries, with walls up to 9 m high. The entire complex was surrounded by a strong defensive wall, the route of which is followed by the current church enclosure. Peasant Fortress Apart from the church, there is a nearby peasant fortress on a hill, dating back to the 14th century. The year 1343 is carved on a stone of the fortress. The fortress had six bastions and a 60 m deep well (which today is only 1-2 m). Legend has it that a tunnel started from the bottom of the well and led to the center of the commune.