Fortified Church Şeica Mică

Fortified Church Şeica Mică in Şeica Mică
Fortified Church Şeica Mică in Şeica Mică
Fortified Church Şeica Mică in Şeica Mică
Fortified Church Şeica Mică in Şeica Mică
Fortified Church Şeica Mică in Şeica Mică
Fortified Church Şeica Mică in Şeica Mică

Old altar

A winged altar from the 16th century is currently in the choir room, leaning against the south wall. According to a note in the memorial book, the altar dates from 1565. The front of the movable wings depicts the crowning with thorns, Ecce homo, scourging, preparation for crucifixion with explanatory Latin inscriptions. The closed wings show eight passion images: Capture, Caiaphas, Denial of Peter, Mocking, Mount of Olives, Last Supper , Pilate and Judas' betrayal.

New altar

The baroque altar in the church today was erected in 1763.

Baptismal font

The ore baptismal font was cast in 1477. The baptismal font measures 127 cm in height, 62.5 cm in diameter of the cuppa. It has an openwork nodus. A minuscule inscription decorates the nodus and cuppa, as well as numerous medallions. The medallions depict Veronica's sweat shroud, Olivet prayer, St. John's boy with the crowned cross, Mary, Christ on the cross with St. John digging the earth and Mary watering it, a symbolic representation of the Trinity, an eagle, an Ecce homo, a saint, angels with banners and the coronation of Mary. The decoration of the nodus consists of: 14 times the Samson fighting with the lion, 12 times horseman with falcon and 2 times animal with crowned ox head. A row of sirens appears at the foot. Leaf border and row of lilies decorate the foot of the baptismal font. The inscription is partly Latin, partly German.

Tombstone

The tombstone of Pastor Michael Olthardt, who died in 1623, is walled into the south wall of the chancel. The tombstone bears a Latin inscription. The stone sculpture is colored.

Organ

An organ is installed in 1790 by Samuel Mätz, of which only the facade remains today. The work is replaced in 1919 by a pneumatic cone chest by K. Einschenk ( Brasov). The organ has two manuals, pedal and 20 stops.

Bells

A bell with the inscription "O rex glorie veni cum pace 1556" hangs in the old bell tower. It is used as a death knell. Two new bells from 1931 and 1932 hang in the new bell tower.

Bell tower

A three-storey stone bell tower will be built in front of the west front of the central nave. It measures 6.6 x 8.4 m in plan. The belfry is set up on the third floor of the tower. This bell tower was raised by one storey around 1530 and received a wooden battlement on hanging trestles. On the third floor, the room is covered with a brick barrel vault.

West portals

The tower's ground floor forms a vestibule in front of the west portal with Gothic profiling. The profiling of the pointed-arched west portal consists of six round and pear bars between coving.

Choir

The choir has five two-part windows with tracery. The decoration of the tracery consists of cloverleaf arches, trefoils and quatrefoils. A three-story tower was built above the choir around 1530. For this purpose, the buttresses are extended to the eaves and the walls of the last floor are set on brackets with casting holes between them.

Fortified well yard

Between the gate tower located to the west and the church tower, the particularly strongly fortified well yard is created. 14 m high walls have buttresses on the inner side, which support a battlement. On the north side, a door leads into the well yard, which is protected by pitch noses and portcullis. The well yard with its strong fortifications in a small space: covered battlements on high arches, coulter towers, gate and church tower is a unique solution in Transylvania.

Ring wall

A first oval circular wall with a gate tower was built around the church in the 14th century. On the inside of the ring wall, brick arches were added in the 15th century, which carry the battlements. The wall's irregular oval is reinforced by three towers to the west, north and north-east. Remains of this ring wall are preserved in the south-west, west and south-east of the complex. The walls are 80 cm thick. The embrasures, located in hollow circular niches, are served from the battlements. In the middle of the 16th century, a second ring was built at a distance of 10-12 m from the inner ring wall and the complex was additionally protected from the outside by a moat. With the exception of the north-western section, where the school stands today, the outer wall is mostly preserved.

History

1300-1400 Construction of a Gothic three-nave columned arcade basilica. North of the chancel is a sacristy.
1300-1400 În jurul bisericii este construit un prim zid circular oval cu un turn de poartă.
1316-1322 The first documentary mention of the village. King Charles Robert informs the Saxons of Sibiu that the villages of Tapu, Cenade, Soroștin and part of Șeica Mică ("villa Salchelk") belong to the abbey of Arad. According to this document, Șeica Mică was partly a subordinate community and had long been in the possession of Arad Abbey.
1318 King Karl Robert issues a charter for the Saxons of Medias, Şeica Mare and Şeica Mică. They are to be exempt from military service, food supply and hospitality of the king, but pay 400 silver marks royal annual tax on St. Martin's Day.
1400-1500 A ring wall was built around the church, parts of which have survived to this day. On the inside of the circular wall, brick arches are displayed, which carry the battlements.
1414 It is mentioned that the church in Şeica Mică is dedicated to Saint Catherine.
1419 Representatives of the village appear before King Sigismund and complain that the Abbot of Arad, Emmerich, has tried to occupy Şeica Mică. The king confirms in a document that Şeica Mică has always belonged to the royal soil since its foundation.
1494 King Wladislaus II granted the municipality the weekly and yearly market rights. At this point, Şeica Mică is more than twice the size of Şeica Mare.
1516 Şeica Mică is the largest village in the region. 129 families live here, 14 widows, a miller and 3 shepherds.
1550 At a distance of 10-12 m from the inner ring wall, a second ring wall is built and the complex is additionally protected from the outside by a moat.
1576 Şeica Mică acquires the privilege of being able to elect its own judge every year from the Transylvanian voivode Christoph Bäthori. This gives the place blood jurisdiction ("ius gladii").
1578 The National University decides to subordinate the craftsmen from Şeica Mică and Richis to the Medias guilds. There was evidence of four guilds in Şeica Mică: cooperage, furriers, linen weavers and shoemakers.
1605 The Haiducii (Romanians with Robin Hood's idea of redeployment) under the command of Captain Stephan Török cause damage in Șeica Mica.
1705 The place is plundered by imperial troops.
1838 One hundered houses are destroyed by fire.
1865 In the village 12 houses, 71 barns, 107 stables and 175 bailers burn down.

Places in the surroundings