The church
The basilica, which is set on a narrow plateau on the top of a stony hill, is one of the oldest and most typical churches of the Romanesque style in Transylvania.



The church was built of stone and consists of three short naves, a choir, and an apse. The taller central nave is separated from the two collateral ones by a pair of square pillars that support two round arches. Light reaches the interior through three round windows within the arches. The main nave has a visible roof structure, while the two side-naves have barrel vaults. The two small apses at the end of the two collateral naves are each covered with a semi-cupola, as is the main apse of the altar. The square choir has a cross-ribbed vault. There is a door on the southern wall of the church that has been sealed up, but upon which traces of mural painting may still be seen. The former altar of the church was dismantled and all that remains is a fragment of the central niche, which depicts the Virgin Mary. Several consecration crosses were painted on the walls of the church.

The fortification



The plateau on which the church is built was surrounded with curtain walls. Because of the very steep slope upon which they are set and the large thickness of the walls, they measure 2-3 metres towards the inside of the precinct and 4-5 metres towards the outside. The wall surrounding the church was built in the 13th century and was equipped with a reinforced wall passage and crenels.
 An interesting tradition within the village was that each young man was required to bring a boulder up into the stronghold to prove his strength before getting married.

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