El centro histórico de Sighișoara es un lugar declarado Patrimonio de la Humanidad, ciudadela construida en el siglo XII por los colonos sajones transilvanos –artesanos y mercaderes alemanes–, con el nombre latino de Castrum Sex. Es una ciudadela medieval habitada que fue elegida para el Patrimonio de la Humanidad en el año 1999, por su testimonio de 850 años de antigüedad de la historia y la cultura de los sajones de Transilvania. Sighișoara ha conservado de forma admirable su centro histórico, característico de las pequeñas ciudades medievales fortificadas. Durante varios siglos desempeñó un importante papel estratégico y comercial en los confines de la Europa Central.
Lugar de nacimiento de Vlad III el empalador, también conocido como Vlad Draculea, Sighișoara (en alemán Schäßburg) alberga, cada año, un festival medieval donde las artes y la artesanía se mezclan con la música rock y las obras de teatro. La ciudad marca el límite superior de la Tierra de los Sachsen (Alemanes de Sajonia o Luxemburgo establecidos en el centro de Rumania en el siglo XII). Como sus hermanos mayores, Sibiu (Hermannstadt – Capital Europea de la Cultura en 2007) y Braşov (Kronstadt), Sighișoara muestra una arquitectura típica de la Alemania medieval. Durante la época comunista, esta zona alemana fue conservada y la estructura original aún se encuentra en su lugar.
Entre sus principales edificios históricos y turísticos destaca la Torre del Reloj de Sighișoara y la casa donde vivió Vlad III el Empalador hoy convertida en un museo.
Founded by German craftsmen and merchants known as the Saxons of Transylvania, Sighişoara is a fine example of a small, fortified medieval town which played an important strategic and commercial role on the fringes of central Europe for several centuries.
The origins of Sighisoara city go back to the Roman times. During the First Century AD, the Dacians (ancient inhabitants of the territory of modern Romania which eventually will develop into the Romanian people), built a fortification called Sandava. Under the Roman administration it was known as Castrum Stenarum. During the 12th century, the Transylvanian Saxons built a new citadel which was named Schäßburg. The name of Sighisoara was first noted in a written document issued by Vlad Dracul, Vlad the Impaler’s father, in 1431.
Sighisoara (Schäßburg – Schassburg or Schäsbrich in German) still stands as one of the most beautiful and best-preserved medieval towns in Europe.
Designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this perfectly intact 16th century gem with nine towers, cobbled streets, burgher houses and ornate churches rivals the historic streets of Old Prague or Vienna for atmospheric magic. It is also the birthplace of Vlad Dracula, also known as Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler), ruler of the province of Walachia from 1456 to 1462.
It was he who inspired Bram Stoker’s fictional creation, Count Dracula. His house is just one of the many attractions here. Others include the Church on the Hill with its 500-year-old frescoes, the 13th century Venetian House and the Church of the Dominican Monastery, known for its Transylvanian renaissance carved altarpiece, baroque pulpit, Oriental carpets and 17th century organ.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the economic growth recorded by Sighisoara’s industrious craftsmen and tradesmen ensured financial means for the construction of a strong defense system provided with 14 towers and several bastions provided with gunnery directed to all four cardinal points. Each tower was built, maintained and defended by a craft guild.
Among the most striking is the 14th century Clock Tower.
This tower controlled the main gate of the half-mile-long defensive wall and stored the city’s treasures.
Sighisoara was not the biggest or richest of the seven Saxon walled citadels in Transylvania, but it has become one of the most popular. A walk through the town’s hilly streets with their original medieval architecture, magical mix of winding cobbled alleys, steep stairways, secluded squares, towers, turrets and enchantingly preserved citadel, is like stepping back in time.
