Due to it's size and strategic position, Brasov has been since the Middle Ages an important military objective, so great care has been taken in defending it. As over the first decades the repeated attacks destroyed much of the settlement, soon began one of the most important and ambitious project : the building of a solid network of fortifications, that would protect the place. It was the birth of Brasov's Defensive Fortifications, built mainly in 1400 - 1650 : the outer and inner walls, defense towers, massive gates. Most of this strong network of thick walls has been taken down in the 19th century, to offer the city the space for expansion.
In the initial fortifications there were no less than seven bastions, but unfortunatelly only a few survived the time and the extensions of the city, the best kept being the Graft Bastion, recently renovated, as well as the Blacksmiths' bastion or the Weavers'. In the past, one could enter Brasov through the Catherine Gate, built in 1559 and for a long time the main entrance. This fairytale gate is still in good shape and very popular, next to the Schel Gate, built much later, in 1827.
Other parts of the Brasov fortifications :
Graft Bastion (Bastionul Graft) : built in 1521, this bastion has been thoroughly renovated, and it;'s four levels are now all accessible. At the superior levels visitors have the chance of admiring several exhibits of medieval objects, artefacts, weapons, all very interesting and well restored.
White Tower (Turnul Alb) : situated at a small distance from the Graft, it was finished in 1494 and has also four levels. On top of it you can have a breathtaking view of the city, yet you might be too tired, as there is a lot to climb until the top.
Black Tower (Turnul Negru) : one of the most popular ones, it was built after 1490, in around 1494 (according to some historians) and in 1559 it was nearly destroyed in a fire, after being struck by a bolt of lighting. It was an event that aroused a great deal of superstitious suspicions and thus was born the legend of the Black Tower. This important touristic landmark was also recently renovated and has a small war artifacts museum inside. You can climb the four levels on a wooden ladder, solid enough to hold you, and the view is impressive, as it opens towards the Black Church.
Blacksmiths' Bastion (Bastionul Fierarilor) : today one can find here the Brasov Archives, with it's impressive collection of more than 100.000 documents, most of them very old, among them some 80 letters from the 14th - 16th century. The "piece de resistence" here is the so-called Letter of Neascu from Campulung, a letter written in 1521, which actually begins the history of Romania literature.
Catherine's Gate (Poarta Ecaterinei) : it was the work of the Tailors' Guild, who built it in 1559. By chance, it is the only old gate that still survives, due in a large part to the quality of the work. It seems to be drawn out of a fairytale, really. In the past it was a part of a much larger structure, torn down eventually, at the middle of the 19th century. The model of this original structure can still be admired at the Weaver's Bastion Museum , in a large scale representation of Brasov in the 16th century.
Schei Gate (Poarta Schei) : since the old times, you entered the so-called Schei district through the Schei Gate. Little is known that the gate was also called the Porta Valacce, the Wallachs' Gate, as all Romanians living in Schei could only enter through here. The structure that can be seen today here was built in 1827, after the old gate was almost destroyed in a fire.
Weavers' Bastion (Bastionul Tesatorilor) : this important landmark in the history of the town is also one of the most popular tourist atractions. It was built in 1421 - 1436 and once again rebuilt and extended in 1570-1573, and today is still the largest bastion in Brasov and certainly the best kept from the original watchtowers. It is today a museum, with an impressive number of vizitors each year.
Brasov Fortress (Cetate) : another important part of the old fortification system, this massive fortress watched over the town in old times, overlooking Brasov. At first the structure was made out of wood, being finished in 1524, but soon afterwards was rebuilt in stone, in the 16th century. It was abandoned one century later, for the technological and military advances made it too weak to withstand an attack.
2007-11-07
