Mikó Fortress, Miercurea-Ciuc

The Mikó Fortress, with its Italian-style bastions and regular geometrical plan, built in late Renaissance style, is the oldest and most important monument of Miercurea-Ciuc. It bears the name of its builder, Hidvégi Mikó Ferenc (1585-1635), in the documents of time being referred as the New Mikó's Citadel. The fortress construction began in 1623, ten years after Mikó Ferenc became the supreme master of Szekely seats (counties) Ciuc, Gheorgheni, and Casin. Leading figure in political life of Transylvania in the early 17th century, Mikó Ferenc, besides this function was also the prince Gabriel Bethlen's adviser, a diplomat and a columnist.

The building of the castle with a quadrilateral plan (75x70 m) was completed probably in the thirties of the 17th century. The first written document proving the existence of the fortress dates from 1631. Mikó received as a gift from Gabriel Bethlen the Szereda princely domain field and the approval for the construction of the citadel. However, his heir Mikó József was sued by Pánczélos István and Balázs from Martonfalva because his father has acquired their lands without compensation when building the citadel. After 1636 the citadel passes to Damokos Tamás, Ciuc county supreme.

On 21 October 1661, the Turkish-Tatar army led by Ali, pasha of Timişoara, invaded Ciuc county and occupied and burned the citadel. Is was reconstructed between 1714-1716 under Imperial General Stephan Steinville, as is certified in a stone inscription placed above the entrance gate of the citadel. In 1735, the Austrian colonel and engineer Johann Conrad Weiss made the plan of the citadel, the oldest known so far, which is an important document on the history and construction stages of the fortress.

Around the rebuilt fortress the Austrians developed a defense system with four Italian-style bastions, whose traces are still visible on the southern side. On the west side was built a store for gunpowder and the south-western bastion was transformed into a chapel. The chapel ceiling is decorated with late Baroque stucco decorations and the Gothic windows frames is the result of subsequent processing. The ground floor rooms have dome shaped semi-cylindrical ceilings, with dual radial curvature groins. Demarcation of levels is marked out by a belt of carved stone. Every stronghold, at the height of the bridge, has shooting goals.

The reinforced fortress was an important strategic point on the eastern border of the Habsburg Empire. Until the organization of Szekler border regiments (1764), it hosted barracks for the Imperial troops, and thereafter until 1849, headquarter of 1st Székely Border Regiment commander. During the Revolution of 1848-1849 it was headquarter of the Szekler revolutionary army leader, Gál Sándor. After the defeat of the revolution, the citadel remained in use of the army. In 1890 was built on one side and another of the gate-stronghold a building, which was demolished in 1990.

In the 1880s was filled the castle moat. By the mid-twentieth century, with little interruption, the fortress was used by the military. In 1970, after a general restoration, in the fortress was moved the Ciuc Székely Museum, founded in 1930.

Images from Wikipedia.

Sighişoara Clock Tower

Located in the eastern part of the Sighişoara Citadel, the Clock Tower was built to protect the main gate of the citadel, to host the City Council meetings, and for keeping the archives and treasures of Sighişoara.

Built in the 14th century, the tower has a double barbican to control access into the city, ramparts, watch road and shooting galleries, and four towers that symbolized (as the architectural effigy of the entire community) that the city had judicial autonomy, the famous jus gladii - the right to capital punishment. The construction is based on a rectangular prism, with five levels and a pyramidal roof balcony, and had a height of 64 m.

The roof was destroyed by the great fire of 30 April 1676 and was rebuilt in 1677 by artisans Veit Gruber from Tyrol, Philip Bong from Salzburg, and carpenter Valentin. Repaired several times (1775, 1804) the roof acquired its appearance in 1894 when was covered with colorful enameled tiles and were painted the two emblems and was engraved the logo. The general form of the roof (of 1677) bears the seal of the Baroque style and has a height of 34 m. The roof is interleaved with a flashlight, then two onion-shaped domes, superimposed, interrupted also by two small flashlights.

The roof spire terminates in a gilded globe that contains a volume equivalent to 10 buckets. Above is a rod so called "time bar" with a two-headed eagle on top, indicating the wind direction. At the corners of the roof are four towers, with a height of 12.5 m and covered with enameled tiles. Each tower has a globe on top with one wind flag. On two of these flags is a rosette with six petals and the year of renovations (1894), and on the other two the names of master builders: Leonhard and Kovatsch, which realized the general renovation of the tower, and Johann Polder, the tinsmith.


Near the Clock Tower

The building received the beginning of the 17th century a clock rebuilt in 1648 by Johann Kirschel, provided with lime wooden statues of 0.80 m high, belong to a rather rustic Baroque and representing the pagan gods as personified weekdays: Diana, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and Sun.


Under the Clock Tower

The current clock mechanism is made by Fuchs from Switzerland and was installed in the Clock Tower on April 1, 1906. The watch was upgraded with an electric engine in 1964 by artisans Konradt, father and son. The clock has two huge dials 2.40 m in diameter and statues placed in niches. Towards the citadel there is the Goddess of Peace with an olive branch, accompanied by a drummer beating a bronze drum each hour, the Goddess of Justice with the balance, the Goddess of Justice with a sword and two angels, representing Day and Night: at 6 am appears the Day, and at 18 exits and appears the Night with two lighted candles in hands. Towards the lower city there are figurines representing weekdays, installed on a wheel, moving at 12 pm. The figurines of the clock tower were recently restored by the specialists of Brukental Museum in Sibiu.


View from the Clock Tower

Under the Clock Tower, the main gateway to the lower city, the access to the citadel was through two passages. Pedestrian corridor was built in the 18th century and transformed into a prison and torture chamber. The Clock Tower houses the History Museum of Sighişoara since 1899.

Panoramas by Michael Pop, from www.360trip.ro

Slimnic Stronghold

Slimnic (German Saxon: Stulzembrich, Stűltsembriχ; German: Stolzenburg; Hungarian: Szelindek, Nagyszelindek) is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania. Around 1930, a treasure containing 18 golden coins minted between 1050 and 1350 was found in the territory of Slimnic. 12 of the coins were from mints located half way down the river Elba. It can therefore be assumed that some East-German colonists lived on these lands in the 14th century however the Saxon community here is known to be much older than that.

The stronghold of Slimnic is set on the hillock called Burgbaesch (or Burgbäsch). From this hill, that dominates the village below, the fortress was supposed to guard the way from Mediaş to the residence of the seat of Sibiu. Because of the deteriorating effects of historical events on the fortress, a set of ruins are all that remain today. The peasant citadel was built by the locals, who have used it for defense in harsh times or to maintain their supplies. The first mantle walls, built of uncut stone, were erected in the 12th century, at the time of the great Tatar invasion.


In Front of the Stronghold

This construction was replaced in the 15th century with a stronger construction made of brick. The Gothic chapel in the north of the citadel was then transformed into a defense tower. Besieged several times, the city was conquered by Ioan Zápolya in 1529, and Mózes Székely in 1602. It was besieged also by the Turks in 1658.


The Inner Court

The red brick walls formed two polygonal precincts which have both been preserved to this day. The southern one though, enclosing a well, was badly damaged by the kuruc at the beginning on the 18th century. They had attacked on behalf of Prince Ferenc II Rákóczi and were led by Lorenz Perki. The tower in the northern precinct had walls up to 3.5 m thick at the base, but had no machicolation, battlement or wall passage.


The Way to the Tower

During the 14th century was built, but unfinished, the Gothic basilica, on west-east axis of the stronghold. All that remains of the church today are its walls, except for the northern one, which has been destroyed. Because of the unusual plan and the elevated choir, under which there was a tunnel communicating with the gate tower, it is difficult to speculate on how the church was intended to look.


In the Tower

After 1717 the fortress was repaired several times. The stones taken from the demolition of a part of the church in 1855 were not used as planned for building a new school, but were instead used for a new cemetery wall. In 1870, the little tower between the inner and outer courtyard and part of the wall that guarded the southern entrance collapsed, as did the circular ones surrounding the well, only two years later. During World War I was taken the very precious bell. In the late 1950s the bell tower, the southern walls, and the north-western defensive tower were restored.

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From Fortified Churches from Transylvania and other sources.

Panoramas by Michael Pop, from www.360trip.ro.

Neamţ Citadel

Neamţ Citadel (Romanian: Cetatea Neamţ) is a medieval fortress located near Târgu Neamţ, Neamţ County, Moldavia, Romania.

Lack of reliable information on the origins of Neamţ Fortress had resulted in several hypotheses whose reliability was often questioned. A number of prestigious historians and philologists, as A.D. Xenopol, B.P. Hasdeu, D. Onciul etc., said that - according to the papal bull of 1232 - the Teutonic Knights of Bârsa had built between 1211-1225 on the eastern slope of the Carpathians a castrum muntissimum that only the Neamţ Citadel could be. The Germanic (Teutonic or Saxon) hypothesis was acquired by many of Romanian historians, from the name of the fortress (in Romanian, Neamţ means German).

Later, the hypothesis on the beginnings of the citadel could be reconsidered. Thus, in the material dating from the lowest layer of citadel, revealed by systematic investigations carried out, were identified coins from the reign of Petru I Muşat (1375-1391). This is a definite proof that Neamţ Fortress was built in the second part of the reign of Petru I, during which Moldova has experienced a continuous political and economic development. A monument like Neamţ Fortress is a large building, which required a huge effort and considerable material resources. The only force capable of undertaking such initiatives was provided by the princes of the era of consolidation of the feudal state of Moldova.


The Entrance

Neamţ Fortress was clearly documented a few years later, in 1395, during the expedition of King Sigismund of Hungary in Moldova. Not irrelevant is that "The Neamţ from mountains" is mentioned in the Russian Chronicle that describes the cities to the east of the Carpathians, dated between 1387-1391, which could refer both to the city and the citadel.


The Courtyard

The fortress was built on a rocky triangular spur, with height of about 480 m above sea level and 80 m above the level of Neamţ River (or Ozana). It has a rectangle with unequal sides shape, adapted to the configuration of the terrain. The northern and southern sides are 38.5 and 37.5 m long, the eastern side have a length of 47 m and the western side is 40 m long. Specific for the defense system of the fortress is that the towers of the four corners were not placed outside the walls, but directly into the frame walls, and this because the natural fortifications on three sides not allowed their building outside. In front of the fourth side (N) is a ditch dating from the 15th century. The walls were 12-15 m high and 3 m thick, and are strengthened by 18 exterior buttresses.


Council Hall

In 1475, during the reign of Stephen the Great, on the northern side were added four rounded bastions, 30 m high, and the walls were raised with 6-7 m. The new access road into the citadel is represented by an arched bridge, finished by a drawbridge, and supported on 11 stone pillars with prismatic form. The exterior fortification system included also ditches and palisades.


Weapons Room

The garrison had currently 300 soldiers. The fortress was besieged many times by Hungarians, Turks, Tatars, Cossacks, Austrians, Polish, and had a particular importance in the defensive system of Moldavia. Practically, during the 14th-18th centuries, any major event in the history of Moldavia was linked, in a way or another, to the citadel.


The Prison

In the 18th century, it lost any political or military importance and began to deteriorate. During the reign of Mihail Sturdza (1834-1849) the citadel was protected and in 1866 was declared a historical monument. Between 1968-1972, the walls were reinforced, without the reconstruction of the missing portions. Nowadays, the fortress represents one of the most visited objectives of the region.

Panoramas by Michael Pop, from www.360trip.ro.

Cetatea Chioarului

Cetate, former Cetatea Chioarului (Magyar: Kővár), is located in Berchezoaia village, Remetea Chioarului commune, Maramureş County, Romania.

Political and military centre of Chioar, "Cetatea de Piatră" (the Stone Stronghold) was raised in the 13th century (but mentioned only in 1319 as Cheewar), on an isolated hill at a bend of the river Lăpuş. The stronghold is situated at 400 m altitude, on the saddle of a hill surrounded by the waters of the Lăpuş which make at the hill foot a strait among the rocks.

It was attested again after 1372, in an undated document, as a Royal citadel. In 1378, the stronghold was donated to the voievodes Balc and Drag, and to their brother Ioan, the descendants of voievode Dragoş from Maramureş, who kept it until the last representative of the family died (1555).

Between 1599 and 1600, the stronghold and the domain were handed over to Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave) who unified the Romanian Principalities. This is when Chioar became a district (part of a comitat (county)) with certain autonomy.

After 1662, Mihai Teleki was nominated captain of the Stronghold Chioar; later on, his family extended its influence over the whole region. By the end of the century, Rákoczi’s revolt spreads over Transylvania and the inhabitants of Chioar take the opportunity to rise against Teleki. After the Satu Mare Peace (1711), the Austrian nobiliary authorities decided the demolishment of the Chioar Stronghold in order to prevent the anti-Habsburg forces from regrouping, and it was blown up in 1718.

From The Castles Catalog. Images from Castele si cetati din Europa.

Ineu Castle

Ineu (Hungarian: Borosjenő, Turkish: Yanova) is a town in Arad County, western Transylvania, Romania. It is situated at a distance of 57 km from the county capital Arad, and it is the main entrance gate in Zărand Land. Ineu was first attested in documents in the year 1214 under the name villa Ieneu. It was a sanjak in Timişoara and Varad eyalets as "Yanova" during Ottoman rule.


The traces of habitation of this area are lost in the darkness of time. Archeologists have excavated finds belonging to the Neolithic (axes with hole, silex, ceramics), to the Dacian civilization, to the Roman occupation (fortress lines, ornaments, arms, millstones) and sources that attest the continuation of inhabitancy on these areas. Ineu has been the residence of a Romanian principality (cnezat), it is also well-known as a strong reinforced center.


The Ineu Castle is mentioned also as a fortress even from 1295. Having a strategic position in the defense of Transylvania, the castle had a life full of vicissitudes. It belonged to the fortresses of Ioan (or Iancu) de Hunedoara (Hungarian: Hunyadi János), it was occupied by the Turks for several times (1566, 1658), it was the residence of an Ottoman territorial unit, it was transferred in the possession of Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave) in 1599, it was conquered by the Hapsburgs (end of 17th century), it was a garrison of a frontier guard regiment (1700–1745). These periods and events have left their marks upon the town's development.


The developing of military technology, especially of the artillery, required the reconstruction of the citadel for the new conditions of struggle. Therefore, since 1645, the works were executed under the leadership of Gabriel Haller, who studied architecture in Italy and adopted original military solutions to suit late Renaissance style. The citadel consisted actually of two parts. First, the inner fortress with two levels, existing until today, has the form of square, with circular leveled bastions at the corners. The towers allowed effective action of artillery, the traces of openings adapted to the canons still existing. The second defense element was located outside, at a distance of several hundred meters, and was a squared stone walls belt with bastions at the corners. The walls were surrounded on three sides by ditches with water, on the fourth side flowing Crişul Alb River.


After the year 1870 it was rebuilt from its ruins in neoclassic style with late Renaissance and Baroque elements. In the period of the Revolution in 1848-1849, Ineu was an important center of the national movements, and it kept this status even in the period between the two world wars.

Dezna Fortress

Dezna (Hungarian: Dézna) is a commune located in the Dezna River Valley (about 7 km from Sebiş) in Arad County, Romania. The first documentary record of Dezna dates back to 1318. According to a legend, László Nagy Peretseny (1817) says that the village name derives from the name of Dacian king Decebal.

The most important historical monument of Dezna is the citadel situated on the Ozoiu Hill (390 m). Dominating the region and the access road to the heart of Codru-Moma Mountains, the fortress was built probably at the end of the 13th century in the center of a Romanian principality (cnezat). First attested in 1317, it was for a long time an important Royal citadel. In 1318, the domain was donated to the Losonczi family.


The fortress had a most important role in 16-17th centuries, in 1552 being part of the defense system of western Transylvania as a boundary fortress, especially after the fall of Ineu, conquered by the Turks (1566). Since 1565 belonged to Ioan Sigismund. The citadel was strengthened with new reinforcements, among which the north-eastern bastion; the architecture in Renaissance style is somewhat similar to the Şoimuş Fortress. Probably in this period in the more vulnerable sectors of the citadel were added rows of parallel stone walls, then filled with river stones, bricks and high-strength mortar.


Conquered by the Turks in 1574 and recaptured by 1596, the fortress was between 1599 and 1601 in possession of the captain of Michael the Brave, Gáspar Kornis, who facilitated the passage of the ruler by his way to Prague. Between 1601 and 1658 know had more owners, and in 1619 was donated by Transylvanian Prince Gabriel Bethlen to Marcu-Cercel Vodă. In 1658 it was conquered again by the Turks, together with Ineu fortress, and in coming decades Dezna disappeared as fortification.


The Dezna Fortress is part of a simpler family of fortifications. The remaining walls suggest a simple construction with one tower. The polygon shaped precincts have a single tower, still standing, seemingly the only outstanding feature of this fortress. Over the years have survived three major walls of the main bastion. Equally, can be distinguished the footsteps of the other walls, the contour of the inner court and fragments of the city ditches. In spite of the modest construction type it was owned by royal and important noble families.


One story says that the Turks had gathered in the citadel a large number of girls, for the harem of a military leader. Unable to escape, one of the girls to avoid the sad fate waiting them, managed to blow up the deposit of gunpowder. Recent research does not exclude an essence of truth of this legend, because some signs shows that the destruction of the citadel by explosion is very probable.

Şiria Fortress

Şiria (Hungarian: Világos, German: Hellburg) is a commune in Arad County, Western Romania, near Zărand Mountains. Documentary certified for the first time in 1169, the village of Şiria was the residence of local landlord (mid 14th century). In the next century belonged to a vast area held between 1444-1445 by Ioan (or Iancu) de Hunedoara (aka Ioan Corvin or Corvinus, English: John Hunyadi, Hungarian: Hunyadi János).

The ruin of Şiria's fortress is one of the most important touristic sights of the commune. Located on the Fortress Hill (496 m high), the citadel dates from the 13th century and was enlarged in the 15th century. The citadel is built in Romanesque style, with a massive dungeon, provided with 2-3 floors and to the top has battlements. It was considerated to be an important strategic and economic point of the region, with 110 villages subordinated.


The central body is built on a rock of irregular ovoid shape with different levels. The western wall is 24 m long, very tall and with holes. To the north are seen the remains of a dungeon, that had a basement room and communicate in the outer court through a door. The outer court is 36-38 m long and has walls almost intact, 1.3 m thick and 3.5 m high. At north is an opening that was one of the citadel's gates. Over the ditch of the fortress there was a drawbridge. The tower and the surrounding wall are the oldest parts of the fortress. The dungeon was 109 m long and 18 meters wide, and before the central body is a protective wall at a distance of 2.5 m, closing a barbicane. The surrounding wall has a length of 28 m, with only an entry from the west. The ditch surrounding the fortress had in some portions a depth of 10 m and a width of 14 m, but some parts were less steep. Underground tunnels have a height of 1.9 m and 1.8 m wide at the base. The main gate on the northeast side, have 2.9 m and two adjacent openings - a large one for the vehicles and a small one for the pedestrians. The gate in the protective was for the access over the ditch more than 12 m wide and 6 meters deep; there are another two gates, one on the western side wall of the outer court and one in the central body. Construction materials used were quarry stone and Roman bricks with the stamp of the Legion XIII Gemina. The stages of implementation of construction works were:

- The tower, with annexes, the wall surrounding the central body part (after the Tatar invasion in 1241, the second half of the 13th century);
- The central body and the thickening of the walls with buttresses (during the reign of Ioan de Hunedoara).
- Fitting the central body, the outer court and the protective wall in front of the central body (during Báthory family rule - second half of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century). Under Ottoman rule the walls were strengthened increasing safety.


A particularly important role in its life had the Romanian voivodes and cneaz (princes, rulers of a large area). For example, a document of 1440 speaks of a certain prince Ştefan of Şiria. Corvinus's possession at the start of the second half of the fifteenth century, passed in the years 1461-1464 under the rule of the Báthory family. During the revolt of Gheorghe Doja (Hungarian: Dózsa György), the city is temporarily occupied by its peasant bands. Under Ottoman rule (17th century), the fortress was conquered and was Mihai Viteazu's (Michael the Brave) military garrison between 1599 to 1600. Subsequently, the city was occupied again by the Ottomans in 1607 and held by them until 1693. For strategic reasons, Hapsburg troops destroyed the citadel in 1784.

Another important event in the history of this locality was in 1849, when the library of the Bohuş Castle was used as a place for the negotiations between General Görgey Arthur, the commander of the Hungarian revolutionary army, and the Russian general Frolov, completed by the surrender of the first.

Şoimoş Fortress

The Şoimoş Fortress is situated in the village of Şoimoş, now part of the city of Lipova, Arad County, Western Romania. It was raised on the right bank of Mureş River, on Cioaca Tăutului Hill.


The fortress was built by the end of the 13th century by a noble family. It is assumed that the first owner was Paul, Ban (marquis) of Severin, between 1272-1275, which yields it first to his brother Nicolae, and then to his grandson, Posa, son of his brother Ioan, in 1278. The role of the fortress was already manifested in the situation of the centrifugal movement of Transylvania and Western Hungary, under the authority of Prince Ladislaus Kán II. The prince ruled the fortress by two of his vassals, counts of Arad: Alexandru (in 1310), and Dominic (1311). After 1315, in the time of King Carol Robert of Anjou, it become a royal citadel, associated with the dignities of count or viscount of Arad.


Towards the middle of the 15th century, the fortress was donated successively. In a document drafted in Buda in 1442, it is said that the citadel was initially mortgaged for the sum of 19,000 florins to Ladislau Hagymasi of Bereczko and his family, by King Albert (1439). The faithful of the new king, Vladislav I, took it over (1440), then the king donated it to the Ország family. The two sides agreed on the common rule in 1442. Under unclear circumstances, the Şoimoş Fortress became property of Corvin family (1446). Ion (or Iancu) de Hunedoara had dismissed his opponents giving them other compensations. Some clues have led to the assumption that the time of John Hunyadi the city was rebuilt. The truth is that only since 1453, his rule was formalized by the young King Ladislaus V. Historian Gerö László believes that Italian craftsmen were involved, and Entz Géza has made an association between the frames of gates from Şoimoş, with Deva fortress and the Hippolit tower in Eger (Hungary). Window frames still kept in the city are not belonging to the middle of the 15th century, but are almost 50 years newest.


In the time of King Matthias it was mortgaged again, to Jan Giskra, former commander of the Bohemian Hussites (1462), during which city maintenance was estimated at 1,000 florins a year. Since 1471 it was ruled by Nicolae and Iacob Bánffy, the first being count of Arad. In 1487 it was confiscated by force from Bánffy family, unfaithful to the King. The citadel belonged then to Ioan Corvin, natural son of the King, then came to Gheorghe Hohenzollern de Brandenburg by his marriage with the widow of Ioan, Beatrix of Frangepan. In peacetime, the number of soldiers was only 12. In the citadel lived Hungarians, Germans and Romanians, all in the service of George of Brandenburg; around the fortress were about 95 settlements.


In June 1515, after the conquer of Lipova, the city was besieged by the rebels of Gheorghe Doja. Details of the siege are well known because of the investigation carried out subsequently, after suppressing the peasants' uprising. After defeating the rebels under the walls of Timişoara, the prince of Transylvania, Ioan Zápolya, held the fortifications of the Mureş Valley, and give the citadel into possession to palatine Perenyi. Around the middle of the 16th century, it became the princely residence of the widow of Ioan Zapolya, Izabella. In 1551, the fortress was given to Andrei Báthory, who represented the King Ferdinand of Hapsburg. It was occupied by the Turks in 1552, then released in 1595 by Borbély György, a captain in Ştefan Bathori's army. It was finally gave to the Turks by Prince Gabriel Bethlen, and remained under Turkish occupation by March 26, 1688.


The fortress had a military role in the early 18th century, without being involved in any major military event. It was officially abandoned in 1788 and subject to demolition, but the difficult access and the relative remoteness were the reasons for the stopped destruction. In the 19th century the monument was protected by law and the last repair occurred in the early seventh decade of next century.

Târgu Mureş Citadel Church

The Reformed Church inside the Târgu Mureş fortress was built in the 14th century and include the former Franciscan convent, the chapel and the bell tower. A document issued by Pope Boniface II, of 23 November 1400, refers to the great altar of the Franciscan church.


Basically, there were three construction phases: during the first, between 1350-1370, were built the chapel and monastery, with stone moldings and other decorations similar to the former "St. Maria" church in Sibiu; between 1370-1400 was built the altar; finally, between 1400-1430 was built the church nave and between 1430-1450 the church tower.


The Gothic windows of the church had to be made later (1450-1460), with the support of John Hunyadi, who in 1442 made gifts for decorating the church. The two Flamboyant windows were made during Ştefan Báthory's reign. Sculptural works were made by stone mason Gheorghe (Gergius lapicide), which received 11 florins for his work.


The former Franciscan monastery was secularized by the Diet of Cluj (November 25 - December 7, 1556), and there was established the first laic school, Schola Particula. Here, after the reformed priest Gábor Nemes, was built a temple of worship for Romanian prince Michael the Brave.


In 1601 and 1602 the church was destroyed, and repaired in 1662 by Prince Michael Apofi I, then, in 1693, with the support of Chancellor Michael Teleki the church receives a wooden ceiling and a nearly flat roof, noted for his engravings made by Konrad von Weiss in 1736. In 1785 the architect Anton Tirck (Türck) transforms the church, which gains baroque forms.