Among the many other architectural wonders, Sighisoara has several churches, very old and beautiful. But two among these stand out from the very first time you visit them, and are bound to be nice memories for your trip.
The first one is the Church of the Dominican Monastery (Biserica Manastirii Dominicane), close to the famous Clock Tower. It is a very old building, being first mentioned in a document from 1298, when it was part of a larger monastery. In 1556 it became the main Lutheran church and in 1888 the impressive complex was sadly demolished, only the church being left standing. On the site the present town hall was built. The Church of the Dominican Monastery is buuilt in the late-Gothic style, with two rows of pillars on the inside, an impressive and massive structure, which was restored several times, first in the 15th and 16th century, then in 1894 and 1929. Besides the architectural elements, you can admire on the inside a small collection of art, several religious items, several Oriental carpets, as well as the beautiful organ and the altarpiece, dating from 1680. You can visit the church, you can pray here or you can attend one of the classical and/or baroque concerts hosted here.
Another beautiful church is the so-called Church on the Hill (Biserica din Deal), also in the center of the city, considered to be one of the most important Gothic buildings in Romania, dating at least from 1345. The building we see today was erected on the site of a former Roman basilica, and the actual building took more than 150 years, the church being extended and changed several times. On the inside the best parts are the remnants of the murals from 1483-1488, the original furniture in a Renaissance style, as well as the altarpiece, which was actually painted by Johann Stoss. One of the greatest treasures of the church are three coats of arms, made out of wood, which belonged to Matei Corvin, Stephen Bathory and Wladislav IIIrd.
Little is known that most of the original murals were destroyed in 1776, on the condition that the beautiful original paintings were first copied on parchments, to be kept and later reproduced. Unfortunatelly, these copies were lost in time, and only a few fragments of the original murals survive.
2008-01-05
