Church on the Hill & Cemetery
A covered stairway with nearly 180 steps leads up the hill to the Gothic-style Biserica din Deal, allegedly built in 1345 for the Saxon community; local guides will dispute this, however, claiming that this is simply the year when the church was converted to its Gothic form. There are a few surprises here, including a unique fresco in one of the archways in which the Holy Trinity is depicted as a three-faced entity, with the Holy Ghost depicted as female. Also unique is the Last Judgment fresco without any depiction of purgatory. Take the time to venture into the crypt beneath the church, where 30 tombs are cloaked in a cool atmosphere of vampiric calm.
Worth exploring for its weathered charm is the Saxon cemetery opposite the church doorway; strangely, the positioning of some of the gravestones clearly suggests that some of the dead have made attempts to escape. To the right of the cemetery entrance is the Ropers' Tower.
A covered stairway with nearly 180 steps leads up the hill to the Gothic-style Biserica din Deal, allegedly built in 1345 for the Saxon community; local guides will dispute this, however, claiming that this is simply the year when the church was converted to its Gothic form. There are a few surprises here, including a unique fresco in one of the archways in which the Holy Trinity is depicted as a three-faced entity, with the Holy Ghost depicted as female. Also unique is the Last Judgment fresco without any depiction of purgatory. Take the time to venture into the crypt beneath the church, where 30 tombs are cloaked in a cool atmosphere of vampiric calm.
Worth exploring for its weathered charm is the Saxon cemetery opposite the church doorway; strangely, the positioning of some of the gravestones clearly suggests that some of the dead have made attempts to escape. To the right of the cemetery entrance is the Ropers' Tower.
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