Church & monasteryTransylvania

Roșia Fortified Church: a Romanesque basilica east of Sibiu

The Roșia fortified church (Biserica fortificată din Roșia, in German Kirchenburg Rothberg) is a Lutheran fortified church in the village of Roșia, Sibiu County, on the Transylvanian plateau east of Sibiu. Built around 1225 by the Transylvanian Saxons, it keeps its Romanesque basilica plan and a richly decorated Baroque altar.

In 1600 the army of Michael the Brave burned the village of Roșia to the ground, yet its Saxon church, built some 375 years earlier as a Romanesque basilica, held out against the siege.

WhereRoșia (Rothberg), Sibiu County, on the Hârtibaciu plateau in Transylvania

TypeLutheran fortified church, Romanesque basilica of about 1225

Best forSaxon church architecture, a Baroque altar and a quiet village off the main routes

Getting thereEast of Sibiu; the Council Tower and the Bridge of Lies in Sibiu are about 13 km away

The history of Roșia Fortified Church

Roșia, called Rothberg in German, lies on the Hârtibaciu plateau, and people lived here long before the Saxons arrived. Archaeological finds in the area date back to the Bronze Age, and the remains of a Dacian fort have been recorded south-west of the village. The Saxon village took its German name from the counts of Rothberg, who were important in the 14th and 15th centuries. The first written record dates from 1327, when a parish priest named Ludovicus is mentioned. Until 1786 Roșia belonged to the Sibiu Seat, one of the Seven Seats, the self-governing districts of the Transylvanian Saxons.

The church is older than that first record. It was built around 1225, when the area belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary, as a Romanesque basilica with three aisles, a square choir covered by rib vaults, a semicircular apse and no tower. It was Roman Catholic at first and became Lutheran after the Protestant Reformation. The choir, the triumphal arch, the pillars between the aisles, part of the north portal and the basilica’s cross-section all survive from this first building, which was altered very little over the centuries.

From the early 16th century the church was strengthened as a place of refuge, with a ring wall supported by buttresses, of which fragments remain north of the church. The defences were tested in 1600, when the army of Michael the Brave besieged the village: the houses burned down, but the fortified church stood firm. A fire devastated the village again in 1631, and in the middle of the 18th century Roșia was resettled with newcomers from Austria. Over the 18th century the church gained a new entrance hall on the west side, the windows were enlarged and a brick sacristy was added.

The interior took its present look in the 18th and 19th centuries. A wooden pulpit with an iron balustrade dates from 1781, and the Baroque altar from 1782. An organ with six registers was built around 1850 by Heinrich Maywald. In 1889 the flat ceiling of the nave was replaced by a vault resting on pilasters, and the arch above the choir received 19th-century paintings with a Latin inscription. Today the church, the wall fragments and the bell tower are listed separately as historic monuments.

Curiosities about Roșia Fortified Church

The German name Rothberg is said to come from the counts of Rothberg, who held importance here in the 14th and 15th centuries. The first document of 1327 uses the Latin form “de Ruffomonte”, meaning “of the Red Mountain”.
The Baroque altar of 1782 stands under a baldachin carried by six Corinthian columns, and shows a crucifix with statues of Mary, John and two angels.
The church had no tower of its own. Its place is taken by the only surviving defence tower of the fortification, about 8 m high, with a clock on the street side that no longer works.
The organ was built around 1850 by Heinrich Maywald, has six registers, and was repaired in 1900 and again in 2010.
A railway line from Agnita to Sibiu opened in 1910 with a station at Roșia. It closed in 2001, and a restoration group has since formed with the aim of bringing the whole line back into service.
The nave was originally flat-roofed. Only in the restoration of 1889 did it receive the vault that shelters visitors today.

Tours near Roșia Fortified Church

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

Exclusive Tour: Corvin Castle, Alba Iulia and traditional villages from Sibiu

★ 4.8 (34 reviews) · 6 h

See details ›

Private Walking Tour of Sibiu

★ 5 (29 reviews) · 1.5 h

See details ›

Sighisoara and Biertan: UNESCO in Transylvania

★ 5 (29 reviews) · 11 h

See details ›

Sambata de Sus: E-Bike Guided Tours

★ 5 (16 reviews) · 4 h

See details ›

Visiting Roșia Fortified Church: what to see

Look at the Romanesque parts first: the choir, the triumphal arch, the pillars and arches between the aisles, and the north portal.
Inside, the Baroque altar of 1782 and the baldachin-covered pulpit of 1781 are the most richly decorated pieces.
Outside, find the fragments of the ring wall, the 8 m defence tower used as a bell tower, and the buttresses along the wall.
Roșia is a small village about 13 km from Sibiu’s Council Tower and Bridge of Lies; Cârța Monastery is about 20 km away and Valea Viilor fortified church about 30 km.
Whether and when the church can be entered is not stated in the sources, so check the current opening hours or ask locally before you go.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Roșia Fortified Church is

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Photos of Roșia Fortified Church

Questions

Where is Roșia Fortified Church?

It is in the village of Roșia (German Rothberg), Sibiu County, on the Hârtibaciu plateau east of Sibiu.

When was Roșia Fortified Church built?

It was built around 1225 as a Romanesque basilica. The first written mention of the village dates from 1327, and the fortification followed from the 16th century.

Is Roșia Fortified Church Lutheran?

Yes. The Transylvanian Saxons built it as a Roman Catholic church, and it became Lutheran after the Protestant Reformation.

Did the church survive the attack of 1600?

Yes. In 1600 the army of Michael the Brave burned the village, but the fortified church resisted the siege.

What is special inside Roșia Fortified Church?

The Baroque altar of 1782 with six Corinthian columns and a baldachin, the pulpit of 1781, and the Romanesque choir and triumphal arch.

What can you see near Roșia Fortified Church?

The Council Tower and the Bridge of Lies in Sibiu are about 13 km away, Cârța Monastery about 20 km and Valea Viilor fortified church about 30 km.