A brief history of Sighisoara

When you come to Sighisoara you will experience the tranquil beauty of a land where time stands still. It has been described as Romania's most beautiful town. Shepherds tend their flocks, horse carts are more numerous than cars, and medieval villages retain their traditional character. Long before you reach this enchating place, you can see Sighisoara's towers and spires from a distance.

Sighisoara marks the upper boundary of the Land of Saschen or Saxon. Sighisoara is for mostly a medieval rural gothic style Citadel but also has renaissance and baroque architecture additionally constructed the XVIth and XVIIIth Centuries.
The citadel in Sighisoara was established like most Saxon towns-around a church. This was the only way to get around the regulation of the king, which forbade them to build stone castles and fortresses.
In the case of Sighisoara it was not just a simple church but a church within a full Dominican Monastery.

Back in the 13th Century, monasteries and monks only appeared in quiet developed settlements. This implies that Sighisoara had already become a distinguished “trading point”, even before the citadel was built.
The “Marketplace distinction” was given by the king only to larger towns. Sighisoara received this distinction in the 14th Century.

Almost all of the buildings which are located in the citadel are on the list of historical monuments. Sighisoara has belonged to the UNESCU World Heritage since the end of the nineties.

For the house owners this is not such an easy situation. There are strict regulations for how the facades and walls of the houses have to be restored and painted. Building with concrete has been forbidden here for a long time.

But let’s get back to the square itself. How did it look 500 years ago?
In those times the citadel square was usually used as a market place. On Wednesdays in Sighisoara it was the weekly market day. Then the craftsmen and farmers from the surrounding villages came together, to trade their raw materials and products.
Since the foundation of Sighisoara the market has played an important role in the town. In medieval times the market place was like a catalyst for the development of the town and it’s no coincidence that it was located in such a central position.
For the traders there were strict laws and restrictions, which were also written down in the statutes of the guilds. For example the location for any craftsman depended on their age. The oldest and most experienced masters were standing in front, followed by the younger generations. Each person was only allowed to sell his products in a single place. The quantities were strictly prescribed and regularly checked on. Selling low quality products was forbidden.
Violation of the market rules was severely punished. Either the offenders were kept in a small wooden house in the middle of the market and presented to everyone around or they had to ride on the so called “Wood Donkey”.
This was a thin plank suspended about one and a half meters above the ground on which the offenders were forced to sit straddling the plank. They were tied to it for several hours. To make things worse, two heavy stones were attached to the riders’ feet.
For serious offences public executions were carried out in the middle of the citadel square. This continued in Sighisoara until the 17th Century. For the townsfolk these public executions were a welcome amusement to everyday lives. For the town administration these cruel moments were a perfect opportunity to frighten the people from committing crimes.
Another special event for the inhabitants was the fair, which took place up to four times in a year. The right to have a market of this size was only given to a few towns and cities in these times.
Many merchants, from far and wide, brought valuable and rare goods to the town. Sighisoara was a junction for many important trading routes, which explains how the town reached such a high degree of affluence only a few years after its founding.
Additionally, by law, only goods that could be measured by length and weight could be sold inside the citadel. Thus only Bakers, Coopers and Furriers were allowed to sell here as well as in the Lower Part of town. Moreover, the members of the most significant guilds (Goldsmith, Tailor and Locksmith) had to have their residence in the citadel. Until the 15th Century all the craftsmen had to live up here.
Eventually people started to move to the Lower Town, making gaps in the citadel. In response to this, in 1513, King Wladislaw II enacted a law, that all craftsmen had to live and work in the citadel. In exchange for this compliance craftsmen were free from all taxes for 7 years.

After the Big Fire of 1676 the marketplace was moved to the Lower Town. The new market was built on the current Piata Herman Oberth (the park you reach when you walk underneath the Clock Tower in the Lower Part of Town).
Today Sighisoara’s daily market is located near the Tarnava Mare River but is not so easy to find. Those who like fresh vegetables and fruits should definitely take a look there. If possible, visit on Saturday or Wednesday when the market is at its busiest.

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Out and About in ROMANIA

Some of the countries most striking features our it's splendid Carpathian Mountains with many covered in lush forests that is packed with wildlife, the bird watchers paradise that is the Danube Delta with its many bird species, some excellent vineyards which produce a range of excellent wines, and 13 national parks & 500 protected areas.