We arrived in the Dealu Frumos village on a Saturday evening during one of our tours through the Saxon villages from the Hârtibaciu Valley. Dealu Frumos (Schönberg in German) is said to be in the exact center of the country. The first mention of the village was in 1280 in a sales document and the author was writing “happy is the wonderful town in peacetime …”

Dealu Frumos has a Romanesque basilica dating from the early 13th century, with three naves, a square-planned choir and a semi-circular apse, but there is no belfry. The fortification of the church started in the 15th century when the Turkish attacks started and had several stages.

Like almost all the Romanesque churches from southern Transylvania, in the early 16th century the Dealu Frumos basilica went through a series of Gothic transformations which probably ended in 1522 – the year inscribed in the twin niche above the north-east entry into the fortress. The Gothic hall church was surrounded by strong defense walls and defensive towers. The fortified buildings erected in the 16th and 17th century were used in part as accommodation.

The last modification to the structure was made in 1914 when they built a new community hall on the southern side, in which the pentagonal tower was incorporated. During the diggings made for the foundation they discovered a cemetery near the first basilica. The pre-reformation crucifix above the triumphal arch was created in 1425.

We had the chance to admire a bit the village and its beautiful houses and also to meet and talk to the old lady who is in charge of the church. She’s one of the last Saxons from the village and she has so many beautiful stories to tell, you just need to find time to listen and ask questions.