In 1283, Petru, the bishop of Alba-Iulia, appointed dean Walter of Villa Echellini (Atel) head of the Superior Council of Mediaş. The fact that Atel had a dean, therefore leads us to believe that a church also existed there already in the 13th century. However, the present Gothic church was built much later, in 1380.

The church

Initially, the church had a choir closed on three sides and three naves. The main nave opened onto the collateral ones via three pointed arches. At its western end, was a bell tower with pointed arch windows, which were later sealed off. All these structures must have been made by the masters and apprentices that also worked on the building site of the St. Mary Church in Sibiu.

The vestry, the projection and the transept were built later, probably in 1429. A master mason called Andrei Pietrarul (Andreas Lapicida), who was famous for his works on the Tarnave Valley, built a vault over the nave in the 15th century. He is also said to have created the elaborate decorations on the doorway to the vestry, and possibly installed the defensive floor over the choir, reached by a corkscrew staircase. Two more brick floors and a wooden one were also added to the belfry. The wooden floor had a defensive purpose and was equipped with a type of machicolation. These wooden elements were however destroyed, probably during the 1658 fire.

One of the most beautiful pieces of work in the church is the flower-shaped ornamentation above the stalls. The latter were manufactured in 1516 and decorated with relief and inlays like the ones made by Johannes Reichmuth in Biertan and Sighisoara.

The fortification

In 1460, before the actual fortification works began, a wall was built around the church, creating an oval precinct. The gate tower on the south-eastern side was later built in sandstone. Because of the undulation and variation in the terrain inside the precinct, the second wall of the tower now seems very close to the ground. In fact, in the old days, it was reachable only by a retractable ladder. The third floor was inhabited and the next one was equipped with battlements. Of the two other towers besides the gate-tower, the north-eastern one still stands today. The southern tower used to serve as a Town Hall, but it was demolished in the early 19th century. At the same time, the first mantle wall was also dismantled. Another mantle wall was attached to the gate tower like the previous one, and two more towers were added on the southern and northern sides. The latter was demolished in 1959, revealing traces of a gangway leading to a house in the village.

On the eastern wall of the choir, we find a very rich historical chronicle, covering the period 1142-1577. Among other things, this inscription claims that Atel had the privilege of benefiting from a third of the commune’s armed forces during times of war.

Today, not much is left of this Saxon community. Most of them are very old and live in the nursing home near the church. One of them appears in a photo that shows the church in ruins, found while it was closed to the public during a robbery investigation. But not only the church and the stronghold stand witness to the troubled times this community has endured: A touching inscription on the church's façade reads: “Eine feste Burg is unser Gott” (Our Lord is a powerful stronghold). Such belief and faith only brought glory to the people of Atel.

You can find more information about this church and many others on this CD dedicated to the fortified churches in Transylvania.