Much later, in 1997, the fortified church became part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

The church

Initially built in Romanesque style, the church was turned into a late gothic basilica in the 15th century. The penetration barrel vaults over the nave and choir are from the 16th century. They have a network of ribs that lean on brackets. The ones in the choir depict symbolic figures that include a pelican with his little ones, the sun, the moon, masks, and a plough.

The last depiction is the representation of a symmetrical iron plough, built according to a technique similar to the ones in Germany and France at that time. The buttresses were also built in the 16th century. They have small brackets and archivolts that support the defensive level above them. The fortification works were completed in 1530, by which time the five metre-high mantle wall around the church had also been built.

The fortification

The mantle walls enclose a square precinct. They are five metres high and have bastions on all four corners. The walls of the bastions are not parallel to the mantle walls but are set at an angle of 45 degrees. A similar bastion stands in the middle of the western mantle wall. A baroque tower was built over the entrance gate.

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