Rupea Citadel: Discover The History And Myths Of Medieval Transylvania
The citadel of Rupea, clearly visible from the main road between Sighisoara and Brasov, was one of the major fortresses of Transylvania. Unlike Fagaras, another major fortress in the area, Rupea had no need for a moat. Perched on top of a hill above the town, this fortress had a better vantage point and defense system.
Visible from miles away in every direction, the Citadel of Rupea stands high above the surrounding area. Built to defend the surrounding villages, and deserted when no longer needed, the citadel sat in ruins for a few centuries, until 2013, when, reconstructed it opened its gates for visitors as a relic from the past.
After watching its ruins from afar for over 50 years, I finally visited the Citadel of Rupea
I’ve known about the castle sitting on the hill above the town of Kőhalom (Rupea) my whole life. I watched its barely discernible ruins from the road leading to Brasov from my home town of Ludus. It was a landmark that told us we were getting close to Brasov.
We drove the route often, to visit our grandparents, and as kids in the back seat, we always asked the inevitable question “Are we there yet?” Over the years, we learned that when we saw the ruins of the Rupea Castle on the hill, we were “almost there”, at least close enough to count.
We talked about driving up to the ruins often. Once, we even attempted it. We never got to it, never found a road leading all the way up. It might have been closed or maybe there was no road to it at all.
Besides, the citadel was a pile of rocks by then. It fit its Hungarian name, Kőhalom, which literally means “rock pile”.
As fitting as it was, the name didn’t originate from there. Before the castle existed in Kőhalom, an even older ruin sat on the top of the hill.
Now, the Citadel of Rupea is a historical site open for visitors. After the fall of Communism in 1989, local authorities recognized its value and asked for EU funds to reconstruct it. They got some grants and added some of their own funds in 2009 for the rehabilitation and expansion of tourism in and around Rupea.
They reconstructed the rock pile into the citadel it once was, and opened it for visitors in 2013.
After watching its ruins from afar for most of my life, I finally visited the Citadel of Rupea in 2019, on a trip to my home country.
The Citadel of Rupea — History
First Documented in Medieval Times
Though built at least a century earlier, the first written mention of the Citadel of Rupea dates from 1324. It appeared in a chronicle under the name of Castrum Kuholm in a story of a revolt of the Transylvanian Saxons against the Hungarian King Károly I. The Saxons used the citadel as a hideout during this time.
The Fortress existed before as the center of the medieval Seat of Rupea in Transylvania. Its main purpose was to defend the surrounding population from the attacks of the Ottoman Empire.
Ottoman invasions were common at the time in Transylvania since the area stood between the Western countries and the Ottoman Empire. Out of necessity, just about every settlement built at least a fortified church for protection, while larger areas had fortresses and citadels.
The citadel of Kuholm was one of them. Called Kőhalom by Hungarians, Reps Burg by the German-Saxons, it stood as protection for the town at the bottom of the hill.
Built by the Transylvanian Saxons, it defended not only the town surrounding the hill but also a larger area. The Saxons, a German ethnic group, settled in Southern Transylvania starting in 1150–1300, invited by Hungarian kings to help defend the borders against the Turks. Ironically, the same Saxons who built the citadel to defend the Hungarian Kingdom also used it against it during one of their revolts.
Looking at the Citadel perched upon a hill with its high, seemingly impenetrable walls, one would assume it impossible to conquer. Yet, the Ottomans attacked and robbed it a few times between 1432 and 1437.
Between Fire and Storm
Centuries of wars didn’t ruin the citadel, though.
It was a devastating fire, in 1643, responsible for turning it into ruins. For the rest of the century, the citadel lay abandoned, not much more than a pile of rocks, deserving its Hungarian name, “Kőhalom” (rock pile).
By the end of the century, the Saxons returned to the ruins for a short time. However, when the Hapsburg army marched in, they handed it over with no resistance. Though still standing, no one used or cared for the old citadel by then, anyway.
But it wasn’t the end of the story. Rupea Citadel proved to be of value again in 1716. During that time the plague decimated the area, the citadel, cut off from town, offered shelter to those not afflicted by the disease. They were safe within the strong walls, away from the sick population.
Later, in 1788, the Rupea Citadel once again offered refuge from another Turkish invasion.
Even though people used the citadel on occasion, they never fully renovated it after the fire from 1643. So, when a severe thunderstorm raged in the area in 1790, it further demolished it, taking out its roof. At this point though, no one needed the citadel so locals didn’t bother rebuilding it.
Left in Ruins in the Communist Times
During the Communist era, most Transylvanian Saxons (Germans, really) left the country. Germany paid the Romanian government a fee for each person who could prove that they were of German descent to leave and settle in Germany. West Germany, that is.
We all thought they were lucky. The rest of us couldn’t leave communist Romania to even visit a foreign country, let alone settle there. But in reality, they had to leave their lives, their homes behind, everything they ever worked for. Sure, it was for a better life and it was their choice. But still…
The whole town of Rupea changed, with the old Saxon homes losing their original owners. No one even thought of the Citadel in ruins. We all knew of their existence, but with no known road leading to it, no one bothered to try visiting it. At some point, the government planned to demolish it to mine the basalt ridge underneath. But it all seemed too much work, and the pile of rocks stood undisturbed past the fall of communism in Romania.
Reconstructed, the Citadel turned into a Tourist Attraction
After the fall of communism, local authorities voted on restoring the citadel. They asked for EU Funds for the rehabilitation project besides their local investments. By 2009 they got enough funds and started work on reconstructing the citadel the following year.
Between 2010 and 2013 they did a lot of restorations work and eventually opened it to the public. When we visited, we walked through all three levels, explored the courtyards and towers. The walls, interior courtyards, and the towers all look like they did in Medieval times (at least that’s the idea).
The Rupea Citadel is now listed as one of the historical monuments in Brasov County.
Legends of Transylvania and the Rupea Citadel
Most castles and citadels, at least the ones in Transylvania, have a legend or two connected to them, and Rupea is no exception.
Retold by Balázs Orbán in his monumental work, Description of Szeklerland from a Historical, Archaeological, Natural History and Ethnographic Point of View, the Legend of Hedvig (also known as Veres) is one of them. Orbán heard it around the middle of the 1800s when he revisited part of Transylvania also known as Szeklerland, his birth-home.
Though he heard the legend from locals, he later also found a written version of it in the Volkskalender of 1834 (a Folk-Calendar the Saxon-Germans published at the time).
The Legend of Lord Hedvig and his Magical Homecoming
During the time when the Turks were constantly attacking Transylvania, and Kuholm, one of the Lords of the Castle, Lord Hedvig led a battle against them. Though they won the battle, the enemy caught him and took him prisoner.
Incarcerated in Istambul, he spent his days in the dark prison room. Sad and homesick, he only occassionally was allowed to walk outside, in an enclosed courtyard.
During one of his walks, he noticed Menenges, one of his soldiers from his castle. Glad to see a friendly face, Hedvig started talking to his soldier daily. Assuming they both fell prisoners at at the same time during the siege, he wondered how he didn’t notice him before.
One day, soon after they met, Menenges offered to take him home, any time he wished. At first, Hedvig dismissed the offer, knowing that it was impossible. They were thousands of miles from their home. But Meneges insisted he could do it. When he repeated his offer a third time, Lord Hedvig recalled rumors about his soldier being a magician. So, he didn’t hesitate any longer, and agreed.
The only thing Menenges asked him was to sit on his cape next to him and not open his eyes until he tells him to. As soon as Lord Hedvig closed his eyes, he heard Menenges murmur a few unintelligible words, then felt the cape rising and flying with them. By nightfall, when his soldier told him to open his eyes, he found himself in the courtyard of his castle, among his loved ones.
A variation of a wizard story or flying carpet story, the legend survived centuries.
Visiting the Citadel of Rupea
We drove to Rupea from Brasov, after stopping at a few other sites in the vicinity. As we drove up the hill, my brother and I talked about old times when our parents tried taking us to see the citadel, but could not find a road leading up to it.
It took us a few decades after those first attempts, but we were finally making our way to the Rupea Citadel up the hill in my brother’s brand new Dacia.
A few cars and a tourist bus sat in the parking lot when we arrived. Still, given the size of the area, it looked quiet, without the expected crowds.
Inside the Citadel of Rupea
We made our way through the main gate, and walked through all three levels of the citadel, exploring the inside of different rooms and towers. Several rooms had furniture, at least large, medieval-style tables and chairs, and we were able to sit by them. No ropes kept us from entering any room or tower. This made our visit more enjoyable, adding to the feeling that we were visiting a castle, not a museum.
A peasant citadel, like many others in Transylvania, the Citadel of Rupea comprises three different areas, reinforced by polygonal defense towers. The path between these levels took us around the hill, in a circular fashion, like walking on a shell of a snail, leading to its center.
The Lower Citadel
We entered the Lower Citadel through the gate by one of the towers. Also called Pre-Castle (Elővár), it served as the first defense, with high walls, and a few towers.
A major feature of the Lower Citadel is the fountain, the only source of water in the citadel as far as we know. They built the deep fountain during the reign of Transylvanian prince Bethlen Gábor, in 1623.
After exploring it for a short time, we headed up higher and entered the Middle Citadel.
The Middle Citadel
The first thing we did as we entered the Middle Citadel was to explore a room, with the entrance partially underground.
It was dark as we entered, so I automatically reached for a switch. To my surprise, I found one. A modern switch that worked and turned lights on. Modern lights in a citadel that was supposedly a few centuries old … It took away a bit from the authenticity of the place, but added the convenience to see where we stepped.
Slightly disappointed, I wondered how much of the reconstructed castle was true to its original. But other than this little add-on the citadel as a whole had an authentic feel to it. And after reading Orbán’s description who visited the citadel in the 1860s, I believe they kept it true to the original.
Either way, the visit through the Middle Citadel was fun as we walked through a few towers, entered rooms, and made our way, following a circular path, towards the best part, the Upper Citadel.
As we got closer, the walkway narrowed. A few hidden stairways lead through an area where we could only walk single file. I understood how hard it would’ve been for the enemy soldiers to get even this far. But if they got here, the narrow passageway made it necessary for them to walk single file, so the defenders had an easier time fighting one-on-one.
The Upper Citadel
The oldest and most interesting part of the Fortress, the Upper Citadel dates from the 10th — 13th centuries. This part, perched on the very top of the hill, showcases rooms, towers, narrow pathways, and a small inner courtyard.
We spent the most of our time here, not as much for the structures, but to enjoy the views. We walked through each tower and enjoyed the solitude — no other visitors were up at this level.
The Towers of Rupea Citadel
The Citadel of Rupea has ten towers altogether. Some smaller, others larger, some square, others pentagonal.
The Citadel is known for its pentagonal towers, fairly common in Transylvania, but unique in the rest of Europe.
The Bacon Tower was intriguing. I had to read the name a few times, both in Romanian and in the English translation before realizing that I understood it right. I found it hard to believe, but in fact they called it the Bacon Tower, as in the fat of the pig.
But when I understood what they used the tower for, I realized the name made perfect sense. In medieval times most German or Saxon citadels had a Bacon Tower. Before refrigeration, their most important source of protein was bacon, and this was the best place to store enough for the whole village. I’m sure it came in handy during a siege.
But my favorite tower, the one I spent the most time in, was the Scribe’s Tower. Not necessarily because it was different from any other tower, but I was hoping to get some inspiration there. After all, the scribes, the writers of the Castle, spent most of their time there. Maybe the muses lived there, or the tower had some magical inspirational properties. The views were certainly spectacular, from every window, but other than that I couldn’t tell if they had any other help for inspiration.
Although, considering they had a whole tower to live in, and the best views from the whole castle, these scribes wrote surprisingly little about life in and around the Castle. I guess the tower didn’t have any magical inspirational powers, the muses didn’t live there. Or, maybe the scribes did write a lot, but their work all disappeared in time. Either way, the views were spectacular, and with no one else in the tower, I had a great time exploring it.
Leaving Rupea
Now that I finally saw it after half a century, I don’t know if I will ever feel the need to return to the Citadel of Rupea. Part of me still wishes I saw it before they reconstructed it. I always enjoy exploring old ruins surrounded by mystery and trying to guess the original purpose of each ruined structure.
But I enjoyed exploring it as it stands now. It gave me a better idea of how people lived in and around the citadels of Transylvania centuries before I was born. Walking through the towers and rooms, it was easy to imagine myself living in another century.
Originally published at https://wandererwrites.com on July 19, 2019.
