Făgăraș Citadel: the moated fortress at the heart of the town
Făgăraș Citadel (Cetatea Făgărașului) is a moated stone fortress in the centre of Făgăraș, in Brașov County, Transylvania, Romania. Begun in the early 14th century, it became a princely residence in the 1600s and later a prison; today it houses a museum and the town library, and it is a rewarding detour between Brașov and Sibiu.
Făgăraș Citadel was besieged again and again, yet according to Hungarian sources it was never taken by force of arms alone. Its moat even held swans, fed from the Olt river.
The history of Făgăraș Citadel
Work on the stone fortress is dated to 1310, on the site of an older earth-and-timber stronghold from the 12th century. Archaeological research shows that this earlier fortification was violently destroyed around the middle of the 13th century, probably during the Mongol invasion of 1241. The new citadel stood halfway between Brașov and Sibiu, close to Wallachia, and its job was to guard south-eastern Transylvania against raids.
The 16th century made it a true fortress. In 1526 István Majláth doubled the thickness of the walls, and in 1541 the Ottomans attacked and captured him; he died in captivity in Istanbul. Gáspár Bekes, who held the citadel from 1567 to 1573, dug the moat and used the earth to strengthen the inner walls, and under the Báthory family the first bastion rose at the south-eastern corner. In 1599 Michael the Brave took the citadel and sheltered his family and the princely treasure here.
In the 17th century Făgăraș became in effect a capital of the Principality of Transylvania. Prince Gabriel Bethlen modernised its defences, the top levels of the south-western keep, the Red Tower, were completed in 1617, and in 1630 the moat was widened and linked to the Olt by a secret channel. Under Michael I Apafi the fortress became a princely residence, and the Transylvanian Diet met here several times. In 1657 Princess Zsuzsanna Lorántffy founded the town’s first secondary school taught in Romanian. After the Habsburg takeover the citadel became a garrison, and in 1721 it was the seat of the Romanian Greek-Catholic bishop for a time. When the historian Nicolae Iorga visited in 1903 he found it close to ruin.
From around 1950 until 1960 the fortress served as a prison for political detainees under the communist regime. Its moat, thick walls and barred windows suited that purpose, and the Securitate also used it as a base against the anti-communist resistance in the Făgăraș Mountains. Some 5,000 people are estimated to have passed through, many without trial, and at least 161 detainees died here in harsh conditions; former prisoners put the figure higher. The prison closed in February 1960. Restoration followed, mainly between the 1960s and 1970s, and today the citadel houses the Valer Literat Făgăraș Land Museum and the Octavian Paler Municipal Library.
Curiosities about Făgăraș Citadel
- Hungarian sources note that the citadel was besieged many times in its history, but never captured by force of arms alone.
- The moat is about six metres deep according to Hungarian sources, was lined with stone by 1637, and was fed with water from the Olt river through a channel; swans were once kept in it.
- The southern wing has a double late-Renaissance loggia dating from the time of Balthasar Báthory, with several Báthory coats of arms.
- Some halls were frescoed in the 17th century by an unknown Italian painter with mythological and historical scenes.
- In front of the fortress stands a bust of Doamna Stanca, wife of Michael the Brave, made in 1938 by the sculptor Spiridon Georgescu.
- Michael the Brave is said to have given the citadel and its estate to his wife, Doamna Stanca, when he took it in 1599.
Films shot at Făgăraș Citadel
According to the Romanian Wikipedia article, the citadel has served as a filming location for Romanian and international productions.
- Iancu Jianu zapciul (1981) – Dinu Cocea’s Romanian film uses the citadel as the palace of Prince Caragea, with exterior scenes at the wall and moat and interiors in the loggia, corridors, halls, cellar and prison.
- Iancu Jianu haiducul (1981) – In this Romanian film by Dinu Cocea, the gallows of the outlaw Iancu Jianu stand between the wall and the defensive moat.
- Regii blestemati (2005) – This Franco-Italian five-episode miniseries directed by Josée Dayan, based on Maurice Druon’s novels, shows the citadel in several episodes, inside and out, as a French or English prison.
Tours near Făgăraș Citadel
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Făgăraș Citadel: what to see
- The fortress is quadrilateral, with high walls, corner towers and a wide moat; the tallest tower is the five-level Red Tower in the south-west.
- Inside, the Valer Literat Făgăraș Land Museum covers local history, ethnography and art, including icons and a gallery of local sculptors, according to Hungarian sources.
- The citadel stands right in the middle of the town, so it is easy to combine with a walk through Făgăraș.
- The nearest other places on this site are Sâmbăta de Sus Monastery (about 22 km), Viscri fortified church (about 25 km), Rupea Citadel (about 28 km) and Cârța Monastery (about 32 km).
- The building was a political prison in the 20th century; displays and areas may change, so check the current opening hours before you go.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Făgăraș Citadel is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Făgăraș Citadel
Questions
Where is Făgăraș Citadel?
It stands in the centre of the town of Făgăraș in Brașov County, Transylvania, roughly halfway between Brașov and Sibiu.
When was Făgăraș Citadel built?
Construction of the stone fortress is dated to 1310, on the site of a 12th-century earth-and-timber fortification. It was strengthened and extended over the following centuries, especially in the 16th and 17th.
What is inside Făgăraș Citadel today?
It houses the Valer Literat Făgăraș Land Museum and the Octavian Paler Municipal Library.
Was Făgăraș Citadel a prison?
Yes. From around 1950 to 1960 it held political detainees under the communist regime. Some 5,000 people are estimated to have been held here, and at least 161 died.
Which films were shot at Făgăraș Citadel?
According to the Romanian Wikipedia article, the Romanian films Iancu Jianu zapciul and Iancu Jianu haiducul (both 1981) and the miniseries Regii blestemati (2005) used the citadel.
Who lived at Făgăraș Citadel?
In the 17th century it was a residence of the princes of Transylvania, including Gabriel Bethlen and Michael I Apafi. Michael the Brave also took shelter here in 1599.
Also nearby
Sâmbăta de Sus Monastery
Brașov County · Orthodox monastery, destroyed in 1785 and rebuilt
22 km away
Viscri Fortified Church
Brașov · UNESCO-listed Saxon fortified church
25 km away
Rupea Citadel
Brașov County · spiral fortress on a basalt cliff
28 km away
Cârța Monastery
Sibiu · medieval Cistercian abbey with a Gothic choir
32 km away