20190529_Romania_7223 Sighisoara sRGB da Dan Lundberg

Interior of The Church on the Hill. Some of the original frescoes from the late 15th century CE can be seen on the left and above the center arch. At the bases of the columns are statues of the four Gospel-writing apostles carved out of lime wood in 1630 CE. They had been on the altar starting in 1792 CE but were moved as part of major restoration work done in the 1990’s CE. The Church on the Hill was primarily built over the period from 1429 CE to 1488 CE. It was Catholic until the Saxons converted to Lutheranism in 1544 CE. The siege by the Szeklers in 1704 CE and then the earthquake of 1838 CE both necessitated significant reconstruction work. The entire interior was originally painted with frescoes, but they were whitewashed over in 1777 CE. Restorations in 1934 CE revealed some of those frescoes. The citadel of Sighişoara dates to the 12th century CE when the King of Hungary invited Germans to settle in Transylvania (becoming known as Transylvanian Saxons) to defend what was then the Hungarian southeastern frontier. The site had previously been a fort in Roman times. The craftsmen and merchants who settled here made Sighişoara one of the most important cities of Transylvania. It was a royal center for the kings by 1337 CE. The German artisans and craftsmen formed the basis of the local economy and attracted artisans from throughout the Holy Roman Empire. During the 17th and 18th centuries CE the city endured military occupation, fires, and plagues. Following World War I, Transylvania passed from Austria-Hungary to the Kingdom of Romania. The well-preserved Old Town of Sighişoara is one of the few medieval citadels still inhabited. The Historic Centre of Sighişoara was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. On Google Earth: The Church on the Hill 46°13'3.81"N, 24°47'25.32"E