Fortified Church Cristian

Fortified Church Cristian in Cristian
Fortified Church Cristian in Cristian
Fortified Church Cristian in Cristian
Fortified Church Cristian in Cristian
Fortified Church Cristian in Cristian
Fortified Church Cristian in Cristian

Baroque altar

The baroque altar dates from 1719. The main picture shows a crucifixion, below the Entombment, above the Holy Trinity. The main picture is flanked by wooden sculptures of the apostles Peter and Paul.

Baptismal font

The stone baptismal font with a wooden lid dates from the 18th century.

Organ

The organ was installed in 1776. It has a rococo prospectus and 20 registers and bears the inscription "Johann Weiss, Cibiniensis, 1776, Die 10. Augusti".

Bell tower

The massive 13th century Romanesque bell tower has 2.7 m thick walls on the ground floor. It has a square ground plan with a side length of 11m and is covered with a cross vault on the ground floor. The ground floor has round arch openings on all four sides. On the first floor is a gallery with two round-arched windows facing the churchyard. The second floor still has Romanesque stylistic features. During an earthquake (1802) the bell tower is badly damaged. The church tower is then elevated and a new roof with four turrets is built.

Defenses

Construction of the powerful defensive fortifications around 1500. It consists of double walls that form an irregular pentagon. The distance between the two walls is ewa 3 m. Square towers are built at strategically important places, four of which are preserved. The walls are provided with embrasures. In the north of the fortified church two forecourts ( called Zwinger) are built. Also in the 16th century, a high octagonal stone tower was built in the south of the complex. It has a defensive storey with pitch embrasures resting on brackets. In more recent times, the inner walls in the north, east and southeast were demolished. The gate tower in the west is washed out by the Zibin and collapses. In its place, another entrance was built in the south, and next to it, a castle guardian's dwelling was built.

Vicarage

In the northwest corner of the rectory, which is medieval in its foundation walls and extends north of the circular wall into the fortification, there is a plague pulpit from which the priest preached to the sick in times of plague.

History

1200-1300 Construction of a three-aisled Romanesque pillar basilica with a western tower dedicated to Saint Servatius.
1223 First documented mention as "insula Cristiana".
1383 In Cristian a peace treaty is signed between the Saxons of the Sibiu See on the one hand and the Romanians living in the area on the other.
1493 Along with other places, Cristian is burned down by the Turks.
1495 Completion of the late Gothic hall church.
1500 Construction of powerful defenses. Double walls forming an irregular pentagon.
1529 The town is burned by Wallachian army under the boyar Dragan.
1550 Two forecourts (Zwinger) are added to the north of the fortified church.
1553 Plague and cholera epidemic.
1599 Troops of the Wallachian prince Michael the Brave kill the priest Matthias Heintzius in the sacristy of the church in Cristian.
1631 The village burns down.
1658 A large Turkish army moves from Sibiu to Alba Iulia. A Romanian Bojare (Romanian prince), rewarded by the priest Johann Oltart with 60 talers, induces the Tartars to march peacefully past the fortified church. A drunken man shoots after the retreaters and just kills the boyar. The Tartars now storm the castle. When they cannot conquer the solid church tower, they set fire to wood and straw and suffocate the defenders. The whole village is burned down.
1658 Tatars conquer the fortified church.
1721 Many Saxons live in old stone houses. In addition to 73 inhabited farms, there are 32 deserted ones.
1752-1756 About 50 Austrian Protestants come to Cristian.

Places in the surroundings