The fortified church stands on a hill southwest of the village centre. A three-aisled towerless Gothic basilica with a 5/8 choir apse was built at the beginning of 14th century. The church was reconstructed in the 15th century. The choir got a stone ribbed vault carried by engaged pillars with capitals. The Gothic windows display rich tracery decoration; two keystones in the choir assume the form of a vine leaf mask and of a rosette. In this construction phase, the aisles were demolished and a transept with galleries was built across the eastern bay. The bell tower was erected before the west facade at the beginning of 16th century. The enclosing wall, elongated in an east-west direction, has exterior buttresses and is fortified by bastions and towers. The 8-10m high defence wall is machicolated and loopholed. A two-storey gate tower with portcullis stands south of the church. Owing to the semicircular apse, the chapel fragments in the southern part of the enclosure may be dated to the 13th century.
Johanna Stoica +40/752/882/290
The fortified church stands on a hill southwest of the village centre. A three-aisled towerless Gothic basilica with a 5/8 choir apse was built at the beginning of 14th century. The church was reconstructed in the 15th century. The choir got a stone ribbed vault carried by engaged pillars with capitals. The Gothic windows display rich tracery decoration; two keystones in the choir assume the form of a vine leaf mask and of a rosette. In this construction phase, the aisles were demolished and a transept with galleries was built across the eastern bay. The bell tower was erected before the west facade at the beginning of 16th century. The enclosing wall, elongated in an east-west direction, has exterior buttresses and is fortified by bastions and towers. The 8-10m high defence wall is machicolated and loopholed. A two-storey gate tower with portcullis stands south of the church. Owing to the semicircular apse, the chapel fragments in the southern part of the enclosure may be dated to the 13th century.
Johanna Stoica +40/752/882/290
The baroque altar was erected in 1774. In the lower part there is a wooden sacrament box. In the center is a wood-carved crucifix, behind it is a painted landscape. An inscription says that the altar was made by Johann Folbarth from Sighisoara. The central image is flanked by wooden sculptures - Moses and Aaron. In the upper register there is an eye of God depiction flanked by two angels with paten and chalice. The altar has both Baroque and Rococo style features.
The baroque organ is a work of the sons Mätz. It was installed in 1842 and has 14 stops.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the choir receives a stone ribbed vault, supported by cylindrical half-columns. The Gothic windows of the choir have tracery decoration with heart, fish-bubble and quatrefoil shapes. The keystones of the choir show a human antlers and two five-petaled roses.
The church is surrounded by a circular wall with the ground plan of an irregular polygon. The ring wall is reinforced by two towers and three bastions with rectangular ground plan. The 8-10 m high curtain wall has cast holes and embrasures in the upper part. From the battlements only the holes of the supporting beams in the walk-wall have been preserved. The entrance to the castle is protected by a two-story gate tower, which used to have a portcullis. Above the gate entrance there are three bretèches (balcony with machicolations) . In the north there is a tower, half of which protrudes from the wall. There are embrasures in the three floors of the tower. The outer walls of the tower are decorated with black-red-white painting.
The remains of a chapel can be found in the fortified church wall. The Romanesque chapel probably dates from around 1280. On the southern wall of the chapel, the two shield arches of a cross vault are visible. In the eastern corner there is a sacrament niche and in the middle of the wall there is a narrow lancet window.
1283 | First documentary mention of the village. The bishop of Alba Iulia confirms that he has ceded three tithes to the parish priests belonging to Medias. Among them is also mentioned "Henricus de Sarus". |
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1300-1350 | Construction of a three-nave towerless Gothic basilica. |
1400-1450 | The church is rebuilt after destruction. The choir receives a stone ribbed vault supported by cylindrical half-columns. |
1422 | An inscription in the sacristy testifies that in this year the church was consecrated by a papal envoy from Rome. |
1454 | In the dispute between the Counts of Ațel and the Saxons of Ațel and Șaroș, the communes succeed in rejecting the Counts' claims. |
1502 | Pleban Peter of Şaroş asks the Pope for permission to acquire relics from the Church of St. Anastasius in Rome for the Church of St. Helen in Şaroş. |
1510 | The bell tower in front of the west front of the church was built. |
1532 | Şaroş pe Târnave is a free village where 121 families live. |
1605 | Szekler troops from Prince Bocskai's entourage devastate the fortified church. |
1649 | Date on the south wall of the church indicating renovation. |
1760 | The church is also used as a storage room. |
1807 | Renewal of the tower ball, on which occasion certificates and coins are inserted. |