Buneşti, Braşov
Encyclopedia
Buneşti) is a commune in Braşov County
, Romania
. It is composed of five villages: Buneşti, Criţ, Meşendorf, Roadeş and Viscri (Deutschweißkirch or Weißkirch; Szászfehéregyháza). Each of these has a fortified church.
, and about 20 Germans. It lies northwest of Rupea
and can be reached through Dacia on a 7 km unpaved road. The village is best known for its highly fortified church, originally built around 1100. It is part of the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania
, designated in 1993 as a World Heritage Site
by UNESCO
. The first documentation of Viscri is a record of church taxes dated around 1400, in which the village is referred to as being part of the Rupea parish. Its inhabitants consisted of 51 farmers, 1 school master, 3 shepherds and 2 paupers.
The origins of the fortified church date from 1100 when the Szeklers built a small church with a single hall and semicircular apse
. Around 1185 the church was taken over by Saxon colonists, and the Szecklers were forced to settle in southeast Transylvania
. In the 14th century the eastern part of the church was rebuilt and in 1525, the first fortifications with towers were added. In the 18th century the church was surrounded by a second defense wall. After 1743 a covered corridor for the storage of corn was built. A century later, two chambers in the defense corridor of the bastion were turned into school rooms. The classic 19th century altar has as centerpiece "the Blessing of the Children" by the painter J. Paukratz from Rupea. The font was made from a capital of the 13th century church. To this day, the church is surrounded by a cemetery with gravestones dating back to the Bjielo-Brdo culture.
In 2006, The Prince of Wales
bought and restored two 18th century Saxon houses in the Transylvanian villages of Mălâncrav and Viscri to help protect the unique way of life that has existed for hundreds of years and promote sustainable tourism. The buildings have been sensitively restored and converted into guesthouses for tourists. They remain in keeping with the surrounding architecture and feature a number of Transylvanian antiques but with modern facilities where possible. The renovation of these buildings has helped provide a sustainable future for the people of rural Transylvania while also enabling residents to maintain their traditional way of life.
Brasov County
Brașov ; ) is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Brașov. The county incorporates within its boundaries most of the Medieval "lands" Burzenland and Făgăraș Land.-Demographics:...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. It is composed of five villages: Buneşti, Criţ, Meşendorf, Roadeş and Viscri (Deutschweißkirch or Weißkirch; Szászfehéregyháza). Each of these has a fortified church.
Viscri
Viscri has a population of Roma majority, with a few RomaniansRomanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, and about 20 Germans. It lies northwest of Rupea
Rupea
Rupea is a town in Braşov County in Transylvania, Romania. It administers one village, Fișer, which has a fortified church. Older Romanian names for the settlement include Cohalm and Holuma....
and can be reached through Dacia on a 7 km unpaved road. The village is best known for its highly fortified church, originally built around 1100. It is part of the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania
Saxon villages with fortified churches in Transylvania
Saxon and Székely Transylvanian villages were often organised around a fortified church. With its more than 150 well preserved fortified churches of a great variety of architectural styles , south-eastern Transylvania region in Romania currently has one of the highest numbers of existing fortified...
, designated in 1993 as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. The first documentation of Viscri is a record of church taxes dated around 1400, in which the village is referred to as being part of the Rupea parish. Its inhabitants consisted of 51 farmers, 1 school master, 3 shepherds and 2 paupers.
The origins of the fortified church date from 1100 when the Szeklers built a small church with a single hall and semicircular apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
. Around 1185 the church was taken over by Saxon colonists, and the Szecklers were forced to settle in southeast Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
. In the 14th century the eastern part of the church was rebuilt and in 1525, the first fortifications with towers were added. In the 18th century the church was surrounded by a second defense wall. After 1743 a covered corridor for the storage of corn was built. A century later, two chambers in the defense corridor of the bastion were turned into school rooms. The classic 19th century altar has as centerpiece "the Blessing of the Children" by the painter J. Paukratz from Rupea. The font was made from a capital of the 13th century church. To this day, the church is surrounded by a cemetery with gravestones dating back to the Bjielo-Brdo culture.
In 2006, The Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
bought and restored two 18th century Saxon houses in the Transylvanian villages of Mălâncrav and Viscri to help protect the unique way of life that has existed for hundreds of years and promote sustainable tourism. The buildings have been sensitively restored and converted into guesthouses for tourists. They remain in keeping with the surrounding architecture and feature a number of Transylvanian antiques but with modern facilities where possible. The renovation of these buildings has helped provide a sustainable future for the people of rural Transylvania while also enabling residents to maintain their traditional way of life.
See also
- List of castles in Romania
- Tourism in RomaniaTourism in RomaniaTourism in Romania focuses on the country's natural landscapes and its rich history. The number of tourists is growing every year and tourism is becoming an increasingly important source for Romania's GDP with 7-9 million people now visiting yearly. Romania's economy is characterized by a huge...
- Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania