The church is one of the most valuable Gothic buildings in Transylvania (category A monument), and next to it you can see the bastion and a section of the town wall with its wall walk.
About the place
In 1486 the town gave the Franciscans a plot by the town wall, and the church and friary were built from 1487 with the support of King Matthias Corvinus and later of Vladislaus II. The church on Wolf Street (today Mihail Kogălniceanu Street; Farkas utca in Hungarian) later passed to the Jesuits, was badly damaged in 1603 and was given to the Reformed (Calvinist) church in 1622 by Prince Gabriel Bethlen. It has a single, very tall nave, and from outside it looks like a fortress.
The Tailors' Bastion, maintained by the tailors' guild, was the south-eastern corner of the fortified town and is mentioned from 1475. After the gunpowder stored in it exploded, it was rebuilt in 1627–1629 to plans by the Italian Giacomo Resti. It was last restored in 2007–2009 and hosts exhibitions of the Centre for Urban Culture.
Good to know
- The church's visiting hours are not published; the surest chance to go inside is an organ concert or an event announced by the parish.
- The bastion opens inside only for exhibitions and events such as the Night of Museums; the wall and the tower can be seen at any time from Baba Novac Street.
- In front of the church stands a copy of the statue of St George slaying the dragon, after the 1373 original by the brothers Martin and George of Kolozsvár, now in Prague.
Opening hours
Opening hours are not confirmed. Check the venue's website before you go.